Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today my Grandpa turned 73! He is a young 73 still very active and in pretty good health. Tonight almost my whole family gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's to celebrate. I have your typical dysfunctional family, loud, opinionated, oh and did I mention loud. I got to Grandmas late and everyone was already eating and teasing each other restlessly. In my family if they aren't giving you a hard time about something then they must be mad at you, and it's only a matter of time before they tell you why. There is no sweeping our problems under the rug in this family we get it all out there and get over it later. Many years ago my one uncle shot (with a gun) up a keg my other uncle had bought for a party, but that's a whole other blog story. There was no place left to sit because my Grannie's house is not that big,I think we out grew it years ago but I love it there, its home. Since I was late most of the food had already been devoured its everyman for himself with my family. I was able to get some of my favorite things and finally found a seat. The noise level was very loud by this time and I was literally in 3 conversations at once. I thought to myself, I love this family but we are crazy! If I was an outsider looking in I would run for the hills(sorry Eric). After we ate the craziness continued, my Uncle Dave has called my sister and I "sugar tit babies" since I can remember and unfortunately we have yet to grow out of that. I'm not sure how it got started but I think it had something to do with us being spoiled which we SO weren't. HA. Luckily we have grown out of the wedgies and "licky kisses" he used to hand out. If anyone is unaware of what a licky kiss is....it's where you are held down and you basically get the side of your face licked. SO very gross I know that's my family. I'm sad to say that my 2 younger cousins were tortured with the licky kisses tonight. Mikala, no help from me because I felt like I lived threw it so will she. She was of course mortified and wasn't very happy with me but she loves me and will get over it. The talking continued sometimes from the kitchen to the living room as its easier to almost yell than it is to get up and go in there. We talked about things from dogs to guns to my cousins basketball game from last week. You know typical family stuff.

As the night went on one by one my Mom, aunts, uncles and cousins left til it was just Grandma, Grandpa, me and my sis. I LOVE the rest of my family but when its just the four of us it brings me back to a time where Mom worked nights and my sis and I stayed at Grandmas. It's a feeling that warms my heart because we were there so often and have so many good memories. Even with all the craziness that my family brings they would do anything in the world for me and I am truly grateful to have them. I am sure this is the first of many family blogs you will all read and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.