Monopoly, A Fabulous Family, and A Husband Who Fits

Chad and I just spent the last couple of days with my family in Bountiful. We had a lot of fun all together and it was just another reminder of how much I love my family, and how much I love the fact that my husband fits into my family. It would be completely torturous if he did not. It would be miserable for him, and for me, but instead he likes them and they like him and we can all have fun together! He doesn't think it's weird that we are competitive board game players, or that we are sarcastic, he just joins right in! We played two intense Monopoly games two nights in a row (Chad won both times...WHO IS HE? I've never met ANYONE who can roll as many doubles as he can! And every time he picks a chance card he inherits money or something. My husband is a lucky man). We also played other games and laughed a lot. If you have never spent time with my family they are very funny people. These are a few things about them (those who were there this time anyway):

My Daddy- Picture Steve Martin and you have a somewhat visual image of my Dad (complete with white hair and all). Picture his personality and you also have my Dad. My Dad is very funny, sometimes even without trying to be. He is constantly confusing parables, fairytales, and words of wisdom without meaning to. When he tries to pass on the advice that these things carry they come out sounding like "well, beauty's in the eye of the skin" instead of "beauty's only skin deep" and things like that. It is very funny. My Dad can make friends with anyone. If we stand in line at a grocery store, he knows the life story of the stranger in front of us before we check out. He is a hard working, wonderful father, who can always make me laugh. I love him.

My Mom- My mom is probably the most talented woman on the planet. Not only does she completely put Martha Stewart to shame when it comes to crafts, sewing, cooking, and all the other things Martha does so well (minus her criminal activity of course) but she also is so intelligent it makes me sick. My mom is going back to school right now and getting her nursing degree- and she gets straight A's WHILE doing all the other things I just listed. She is an amazing mother. In high school she single handedly fixed every formal I wore to a school dance to make it modest. (But they always looked FABULOUS- I didn't just have to buy an ugly jacket and make it work. She would add beading and silk embroidery so that everything matched and looked great. Even when I didn't act as appreciative as I should have). My mom watched every play I ever performed in and she was at every Junior Miss performance. When I was over-involved and over-stressed my mom was always right there with me. Most importantly my mom taught me the value of chocolate and of literature. All the bedtime stories and book discussions we have shared through my life is probably what guided me to the career decision I have made now. I love her very much.

My Brothers- Even though we fought while growing up (to the point that I now wonder how we are all possibly still drawing breath) I now realize so much of who they really are, and how much they bring to our family. They are both funny and intelligent, but in remarkably different ways. One the source of constant information, impossible to reason with, protective, conservative, and independent. One the source of constant "PUNK!" skater apparel and music, funny comments, the list goes on and on. Both: the source of worry and aggravation for my parents, lol...they're teenagers.

My Grandma- Quite possibly the world's most stubborn woman. When we play scrabble we have to have a dictionary present the entire time...and Grandma even sees fit to argue with Webster. My Grandma is one of my greatest heroes. She is someone I have always looked up to since I was a little girl. She is an outstanding mother of 5 children, a nurse, and a fabulous grandma. My Grandma has always done things to make me feel special and loved. It think it's really funny because she keeps calling herself "old and decrepit" which is the biggest lie I have ever heard. My Grandma is nothing like other Grandmas. She uses a web cam, talks to us on MSN messenger, and I can call her on the phone and talk to her like an old high school buddy. There is nothing "old" about her. (Other than her love for old movies, which I inherited from her).

My family is pretty much the best thing ever. As my friend Maggie would say "I like them pretty ok." And it is nice to have a husband who joins in so nicely. It is such a wonderful blessing to have them all.