Thankful Christmas

My family is a little complicated...

not so much for today's standards...

but when I was growing up it was...

you didn't discuss divorce...

My Mom and Dad got married when she was 14...

he was 18...I was born when she was 15...

being young things didn't work out...

they divorced when I was just a baby...

Mom and I moved in with my Nana...

visitations got complicated...

they both ended up marrying others...

Mom married my step dad...they had my brother

when I was 2...

My step dad was not a good man...

but that is a whole different story...

My Dad and Step Mom had a son the year after my brother was born...

I didn't see my Dad again until I was in my early 30's...

I got to know my Granddad Nolan my Dad's Dad...

and his wife Nancy...Nolan passed away...

I was raising my kiddos...and it wasn't until

after Nancy passed away that my Dad and I really connected...

I really like my Step Mom...

and her and my Mom get along great...

now our gatherings are combined with both families...

I have a Half brother...a niece...two nephews and a grand niece...

and a grand nephew...

I also have an Uncle that is younger than I am...

The past is in the past...no grudges or hard feelings are held...

the time wasn't right back then...

the time is right now...

My Mom and Step Mom now pick on my Dad...

for the past 3 or 4 years we all have been

getting together for Thanksgiving and Christmas

at my Dad and Step Mom's place...

she went to way too much work...

so this year we talked her into just one...

our "Thankful Christmas"

Stringbean got a new soccer ball from the Great Grandparents...

it was enjoyed by all...

This is my nephew and his little cutie pie...

he is a little over a year old...

This is my Uncle...he's only a few years younger...

This is my Great niece...she loves sports...

She is a year older than my Stringbean...

My son is on the left...

my nephew is on the right...

they have never met each other...

for one reason or another one could make it...

the other couldn't...

finally we got them together....

Do you see any resemblance?

My son says he doesn't see it...

but they have the same mannerisms...

same looks...

I took maternity photos of my nephew and his wife...

it was just so freaky to me...

I would see so many things that reminded me of my son...

It made me think of the Patty Duke show...

Identical Cousins..

well I guess you've probably learned more about my

family than you wanted to...