Day 19 & 20

Day 19

I am thankful for my siblings. I'm thankful for the ones I've had since childhood. The ones who shared the weirdness of our immediate family (because all families are weird and only your siblings truly "get" the weirdness). The ones who can complete this sentence "a loaf of bread...a stick of butter...". The ones who got rained on every single time we went camping for five straight years. The ones who laughed with me during Sunday school class that one time while watching that horrible video about the woman who forgot the last 30 years of her life every single day she woke up and we were the only ones laughing. (It really was a sad story, but the Jolly siblings have the same sense of humor and we found some part of it hilariously funny.)

I'm thankful for the ones I gained through marriage. Either by my marriage to Brad or by their marriage to my blood siblings. Because for better or for worse, you really do marry the entire family. I am thankful that they brought their own wonderful weirdness to the crazy dynamics already in place.

Day 20

I am thankful for nieces and nephews. I'm thankful for the ones on Brad's side before we got married who made me want children of my own. I'm thankful for the ones born after I had my own children who reminded me why loving children other than your own is so rewarding. (You get to spoil them and love them without having the responsibility of child-rearing.) Being an aunt is a beautiful thing and I am thankful for the children who made me one.