mi familia

It seems like most of the time when I blog it's because I'm irritated about something, so I thought I'd do a little something different this time and write about the one thing that always makes me happy . . . my family.  I wish I had great pictures to illustrate this, but sadly I do not. 

• Papa-My dad is the smartest person I know.  He's my hero and my rock.  I think every good decision I have ever made has probably been because of his advice.  My biggest fear in life is something happening to him.  He had an aortic dissection and almost died in 2001 and sitting in the hospital that night, not knowing whether or not he would live, was the worst night of my life.  He has a great sarcastic sense of humor and I love it when he mocks the gun-toting right-wingers. 
• Mamacita-My mom and I have definitely had our rough patches (such as those horrible teenage years), but now I just love spending time with her.  At some point it finally clicked that she's not just my mom, but is an actual person.  That sounds weird and stupid, I know, but growing up you just think of your mom as mom, not as someone with their own identity and who has had their own life experiences.  And when it comes to life experiences, she has many and keeps adding to the list because she has the energy of a teenager and never stops.  On family vacations she is up for anything and everything.  The other day she mentioned how inadequate she felt as a mother compared to someone else and it stopped me in my tracks.  She definitely isn't the typical Utah Valley mother who sews, cooks, cans, crafts and bakes homemade bread, but to me she's much better.  She is educated.  She is cultured.  She is open-minded and she stands up for what she believes in. 
• Matthew-My older brother has always been a great example to me.  He has worked hard at everything he has done and has always been very driven.  Basically we're exact opposites!  I think the thing that I appreciate the most about Matthew is the example he has been of how a man should be.  He is an awesome father, he provides for and takes care of his family, and he has always shown respect for the women in his life.  Between him and my dad it's no wonder I'm single-no guy can ever live up to these two!
• Melissa-Matthew's wife, Melissa, is another person I love to hang out with.  We didn't get off on the best foot initially, but now I just think the world of her.  She's an amazing mother and a beautiful person, inside and out.  She's also a great cook and has a really great fashion sense.  If I didn't love her so much I'd have to hate her!  In spite of being all around fabulous, she's also a genuinely nice and caring person. 
• The kiddos-I would go into detail about how incredible my two nieces and nephew are, but there aren't enough words in the English language to describe them.  I love them to bits!
• Mark-Anyone who has met my little brother understands that to know Mark is to love him.  He's just plain fun to be around and I don't know that I've ever heard him say anything mean about anyone.  I love that he is always in a good mood and extremely positive.  He takes whatever life throws at him and makes the best out of it.  He's the kind of person that makes the day better when he walks into the room.  I'm pretty sure the world could be coming to an end, but if he walked into the room, everyone would be like "Yay, Mark's here!"  

So that's my family in a nutshell.  I kinda like 'em!