my families

recently i've been nannying for some friends. they're in italy...jerks. their kids are adorable though, so it's okay. it's got me thinking about family...or in my case, the plural.

i have my family i've been lucky enough to be born into.

i'm lucky enough to have parents still married. i don't say lucky for the simple fact that they're together, but because they still love each other.

parents who are showing me what it can look like to go through hell and back and still...at the end of the day...say 'we made it and we're still in love.'

i'm lucky to have a younger sister that is much more brilliant than i. she's off being beautiful and independent in austin at UT. she was one of those girls that was blessed to be pretty AND smart. i hated those girls...but april gets away with it. i look up to her. she and her boyfriend have been together for almost 5 years and she's held her ground despite my families sometimes harsh stance with her boy. she's off doing wonderful things, and i adore her.

i'm lucky to have a younger brother who is growing up too fast. he's doing things way earlier than i ever got to, but he's so amazingly mature about it. i've always worried he'd get into the wrong stuff, but he's always been the one to say no. it honestly surprises me sometimes how diligent he has been against some of the pressure from his friends. and even though he had a rough couple of teen years, he's blossomed beautifully. don't tell him that though...i like to make him think he's tough.

i'm lucky to have wellspring.

an environment that constantly affirms that regardless of anything, they will be there. sometimes there will be smiles at my growth and good work, and other times there will be a pair of arms ready to hold me after a failure i've realized.

sometimes tears.

sometimes uncontrollable laughter.

sometimes just silence and awe at the wonder of it all.

i have a crazy aunts in wellspring.

you know, the fun ones that drives the amazing cars and will give you chocolate after midnight? the ones that will talk with you about boys, take you out to a nice dinner and let you feel like an adult, listen to your deepest darkest secrets and promises not to tell mom and dad. ones that read your blogs and then call you to make sure you're really okay. ones that remember your birthdays and give you exactly what you want (chocolate again).

i have fun uncles too. guys that are trying to so hard to set good examples. men i can look up to. guys that can give me a listening ear but also send me awesome internet clips or news articles. they relate the best way they know how and i'm just happy they take notice of me.

i also have older siblings.

ones that have experienced parts of life that i'm about to embark on. ones that i can relate really well too, and yet i always feel like they've got a watchful eye on me. they're hip and fun and are way cooler than i can ever hope to be.

i've also got other sets of mommies and daddies.

women and men that care for me like their own kids. they make sure i'm well fed, well rested, and even tuck me in at night. they care when a boy hurts my feelings and they want to see me succeed. they have a great balance of freedom and jealousy. they want to keep me around but make sure i know it's okay to go out and play every once in awhile.

i'm lucky have a wonderful boyfriend who has a wonderful family.

they're great people. i'm able to take a nap in one of their many open beds and then help set the dinner table. they make sure i know their door is open and that i'm welcome. it's nice to know that i'm not an evil girl trying to steal their boy away. i'm just another member of the clan. i like that best. i like feeling like another one of the many daughters more than a girlfriend.

i'm listening to winnie the pooh talk to christopher robbin right now as i wait on the littlest one to finally decide he's sleepy enough to let me tell him a bedtime story.

"christopher robbin...my favorite part of the day is when you and me become we."

i'm lucky enough to have lots of "we's".