Terra Collection: FAMILY....part 1

Over on Facebook.....everyone is doing a "What I am thankful for" each day until Thanksgiving...Of course I jumped on that bandwagon because I have SO many things in this world to be thankful for...We are only on Day #4....but here are my first 4 days...

#1 - I am thankful that I have heathy kids!

#2 - I am thankful that I have an amazing man that loves my kids as his own!

#3 - I am thankful that I have a house to clean (it's cleaning day and as much as I hate it, I'm glad I can do it!)

#4 - I am thankful that I have a HUGE crazy, loving, fun, always there for me FAMILY!

I'm sure as the month goes on things will get a little less "heavy"....we are all thankful for our kids, partners, homes and families....I'm looking forward to seeing the "little" things that people are thankful for once all of the big ones are out of the way! You know...like my coffee! and my MAC! Those will definitely earn a spot this month!

So.....about #4! FAMILY! I have the craziest extended family of anyone I know....I literally have to draw it out on paper for people sometimes and even my closest friends have no idea how everyone fits in the picture....but they ALL do! I'll start with all SIX of my parents! Yep...all SIX of them! I have a dad...a mom....a biological dad (that is a huge part of my life now)...a step-mom...another step-mom, and a step-dad! You see this as crazy....I see this as I am the luckiest girl in the world to have so many people that love me unconditionally! My kids also see this as the best thing in the world! Imagine have SIX grandparents....on your moms side! Talk about crazy birthday's and Christmas's around here!

The only problem is....They all live 2000 miles away from me....Yep...I'm in Southern California and my ENTIRE family (except one aunt that lives here) lives in Southern Illinois....All of my parents, all of my brothers and sisters (I have five), 90% of my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents all live in this same small town! There are 15,000 people in the town and I'm probably related to 1000 of them! I've been in Southern California since I was 8...so were coming up on 30 years soon...HOLY COW!....but I will always call Southern Illinois "home".

The kids and I just flew home last week and surprised my dad for his 60th birthday! We spent 9 days at home and honestly I would rather spend my vacations there than on a beach drinking Margaritas in Cabo. Call me crazy, but there is just something about family. I don't think I ever really appreciated family like I should until I had children of my own. To see my kids going from fishing with Grandpa Bill to the movies with Grandpa Eddie to Build-a-Bear with MoMo to the scrapbook store with Grandma Mo to church with Grandma Jackie....To see them loved by so many people just melts my heart! They are spoiled rotten when we visit and they keep telling me they want to move there! The older I get the more I hate being away from my family. I couldn't imagine ever leaving Southern California and all it has to offer.....but some days shoveling snow and living just a few miles from my mom and dad doesn't sound too bad. (disclaimer...I've never in my life shoveled snow...so it's easy for me to "say" that! haha)

The first part of our week was the Surprise 60th birthday party! My dad was SOOO surprised! Not only were friends from all over there for him but we had flown in to surprise him as well. Chasey had talked to him on the phone just hours before the party and she told him we were going to Sea World that day!! He had NO IDEA that we were not at home in California so when he saw us at the party, needless to say he was SHOCKED! I think more shocked that his 6 year old granddaughter had lied to him! He couldn't believe she was capable of that! I told her to do it and it was fine so we wouldn't ruin the surprise! (It's hard to tell a 6 year old...its OK to lie!)

The party was a "Baseball" theme party. My dad is the biggest die-hard Cubs fan you will ever meet....We had the Cardinals World Series game on a big screen at the party and since we were in Southern Illinois there were WAY more Cardinal fans than Cub fans... but you better believe that my dad...and those of us that follow in his footsteps were wearing our Cubs gear proudly!

I love this picture!! That's my brother Dusty on the right surprising my dad with Cash!

Chasey and Cash just adore their Grandpa Eddie! Happy 60th Dad! We love you to pieces!

My dad and his best little buddy Cash!

This is my biological dad Doug...on the left (yes...my mom, dad, other dad...all of them are at the party! Everyone in my family is friends and gets along!) The rest of the crew is labeled...except for Chasey....I forgot to label her!