Meet the Fam...

So far you've only met my little family of four. I figured it was time for you to meet the people in my family that came before my husband and children. Though, considering that my mom has 7 siblings, I have 13 cousins and there are already 10+ kids in the next generation, it would take way to long to introduce you to everyone. So I am going to tell you about the two people that mean the most to me. My mother and my brother, of course!

This is Marshall, my big brother, by 3 and a half years. Growing up, I was the annoying little sister and he was the big brother I looked up to. He beat me up and made fun of me, I whined and complained. We joined forces and drove our parents crazy. I had a crush on one of his friends. I wanted to do everything just like him so that he would be proud of and like me. I loved him, he was my big brother. Now that we are adults we don't talk all the time, though I wish we did. I would love to call him everyday just to say 'Hi'. (Though, I would feel like that annoying little sister again)

LIfe is never boring with a person like Marshall around.

After graduating from high school, he moved to Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech, because he is a computer and math genius. A couple days before he left I was sitting in the living room at home when he turned on the stereo in his room and blasted a They Might Be Giants album. He wandered out of his room and stopped right in front of me, just looking at me for a second. Next thing I know he starts jumping around and dancing in the middle of the living room, with a big smile on his face. I cracked up laughing! Mom came into the room to see what I was laughing at, he stopped and just looked at mom but I couldn't stop laughing. Two more times this happened, he would dance until mom popped her head around the corner to see what was going on and he would stop. That is one of my favorite memories of him, and in a way I think it might have been his way of saying 'I love you and I'll miss you'

There are so many things about him that I love. His intelligence, reasoning and explanations always make me think, listen and want to hear more. I don't always follow what he is telling me and am grateful when he takes the time to re-explain something that I didn't understand the first time.

He is easily the funniest person that I know. It's not your everyday 'HaHa' or 'silly' funny, he isn't a stand-up comic kinda person, nor is he throwing out one liners all the time. He is all of that in one, mixed with a mind that never quits...only better.

While our relationship may have been pretty typical, Marshall was not. He was an interesting person to grow up with and I know that a lot of who I am now is because of him, all in a good way. :)

He is dating a wonderful woman, Deri. She brings out the best parts of Marshall and he always has a smile on his face when she is around. They fit together perfectly and she quickly stepped into our huge family and caught all of their hearts too. I can't wait to see what the future brings for the two of them. Maybe a few nieces and nephews for me...?

(here are Marshall and Deri with AJ and Ryan)

My mom, quite simply, I love that woman. She is my best friend and I never give her the recognition she deserves. She was always there when I was little. She drove on field trips and was a classroom mom. She religiously took me to dance classes and busted her butt backstage at every recital for 12 years. She was always in the stands at football games to watch me cheer and always at dance conventions to cheer for me. 
 (here she is at my wedding dancing with Troy, a groomsman)

We've done some wacky stuff over the years, dancing in the middle of an intersection while stopped at a red light. Discovering a new planet in our own living room and making friends with the 'Walnutians'. We've taken road trips and re-wired bathroom lights. We've laughed till we cried and cried till we laughed.
 (here we are playing in a tree that fell in her backyard during a hurricane)

In the last few years she has become something more then my mom and my friend. I got married and she became a confidant. She listens when I need to talk and gives advice when I don't know what to do. 
 (at my bachelorette party)

Then I had children, and she became Momah. She is always there and I can always rely on her when I am at my wits end. All I have to do is call and she knows by the sound of my voice that I am slowly going crazy. Just telling her "I can't take it" calms me down. She is always willing to lend a hand whether it's watching the kids so I can grocery shop or just stopping by so I can see another adult in my day. I am so grateful for her and everything that she does for us.

So there you have it, the two people in my life that have been there the longest. They have helped to mold me in to the 'special' person that I am today. I hope that they know how much they mean to me.

I LOVE YOU!!!!