How do you define family?

Family has really been on my mind lately. Not overly surprising as we just attended a family reunion. It's been weighing on me, deeply, that I am truly lucky.

My family is close, kind of crazy but funny and they care about each other deeply. We're scattered but keep in contact. Loud and sarcastic but also kindhearted.

It's also not the family I was born into. It's my dad's family...but not my biological father's family. My parents have been married for more than 25 years, he IS my dad. He's the one that walked me down the aisle. He's the one my boys call Grandpa - and I know he could not love those boys more. He is the one who raised my sister and I. His family is mine. They are aunts, uncles, a zillion cousins. We share our sarcastic streak and love of playing cards. No one says step. Ever. It's not their way. Once you're a part of the family, that's it. The end.

My mom's family is great but it's quite small and definitely not as close as my dad's colorful clan. I love going to visit them but it's just different.

Perhaps that's why I feel so grateful that I have such a fantastic family. They could choose to not be so accepting but they don't.

Family isn't always defined by genetics or marriages. In this military life we often make little families wherever we're stationed for support since we're often thousands of miles away from "home". We may be scattered but I know there are members of my military family that I could call at 3am their time because I forgot about the time difference between us but they wouldn't care and would commiserate and cry with me or lift my spirits or whatever. They get things that few others would and for that I am forever grateful.

I've always had a hard time with people who want to slap labels on everything. Maybe it's the hippy artist in me. I don't think that you should be defined by a label someone arbitrarily slapped on you. As in, yes I am an Army wife however that is FAR from defining who I am. Why should family be the same? Just because genetics dictate that you belong to this family, who's to say that you can't create or become a part of another that is just as truly family (or more) than the one you are tied to genetically.

At the end of the day, I love my family. All my families.

Tragic!

Tragic Friday night. Wine party fizzled out early, Pinterest is down, and my Giants are losing. So this isn't really tragic in an actual tragic way. But you know, whatever.

So apparently all it takes to get me to write is a tragic night and half a bottle of wine. Weird, right?

I suppose I should go to bed. I do teach tomorrow. Granted not till the afternoon but you know, well rested and all that jazz.

This will be something I read tomorrow and regret. Kind of like shoe shopping sprees at 2 am. Not that I'd know. Really. Maybe. Ok this is inane enough to not regret, it's utter and complete fluff.

I'm fluffy.

It's a nicer way of saying "I'm not a size 0 *which shouldn't be a size*"

This is kind of going the way of stream of consciousness which could get scary considering my odd brain and bizarre trains of thought.

Purple.

I kid, I kid. I'm not *that* random.

I need to new shoes.

Oh hey there....

Yep. I'm back. With little to no...ok, let's be honest there is absolutely no fanfare about my return. I'm an not going to say the cliched little sayings like "I'll be a better blogger" yadda yadda because I really don't feel like giving myself such expectations. I'd like to think that posting will become a more regular "thing" again. We'll see.

So.

Um.

Is this thing on?

It has been nearly a year since I last posted here. A lot has gone on but I'm not going to bore you...plus most of my few readers follow me on twitter and have a vague idea of what is current with me.

The biggest "thing" that I haven't really said anything about is that I have been trying to get my own photography business off the ground. I decided a few months ago, I said "self, you need to utilize some of these artistic urges and use some of the copious artistic education." Right after that prophetic conversation, a job teaching painting fell into my lap. It is unreal and awesome and I just cannot describe how much I love it. I honestly never expected to use any of my formal artistic education and actually get paid a decent amount for doing so. Apparently nor did my parents. I called my mom about the job and first words? "I can't wait to tell daddy that we didn't waste all that money on college for you!" Nice, huh? But I have to say they've always been supportive to max even when they admittedly didn't "get" my art. So around that time I decided to use my fancy camera to start a little photography business. There is not a lack of photographers around here but I use that term loosely. Some are VERY talented...but most are fellow spouses that have a fancy camera that they have no idea how to use but have decided to declare themselves "photographers." I asked one at a casual meet up, what their favorite lens was and if they've mastered manual...their blank stare gave me my answer. So I have a slight advantage there heh. I'm working on putting myself out there more often, it's harder than I remember hah! I'm getting there though.


Most disturbingly, my boys have become BIG BOYS. I do not know how that transformation happened so quickly. My wee man still has a few vestiges of toddler-hood but they fade daily. He turned four recently and has really blossomed into a little boy instead of my wee baby.

This boy? Pure joy. He just turned seven and is far too grown up looking...and SMART! He's crazy smart, it's breathtaking! I am so proud of him, he's just a great kid.

And so I sign off. I have a feeling I will be a more regular poster from here on out.