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I have spent many summers in a pose for the most recent picture….these are my children, my cousin children and MY youngest first cousin…..All that comes to mind is the promise of generational blessing to the obediant, thanks Grandma and Grandpa.

Happy Birthday Great Grandma, I shared birthday surprise most summers of my life in Chicago/Lombard

My Sarah taking MY place at the game table with Grandma Holton…

Our baby DJ with Great Grandpa who he always finds comfort with.

This the two and three year old set of great granchildren…
Ava (who belongs to Jeff), Jessie (who belongs to John), and DJ (who belongs to me, of course)

These are the people who help make me who I am….my family, all shapes, sizes and colors.
My grandmother turned 81 last summer. I was blessed to spend the week helping her celebrate with my children and my cousins children, my youngest first cousin, and my aunts, all people who make up the thread that holds me together with just the right mix of tension and tender touch. I spent every summer of my childhood in the backyard pictured. It is now filled to the brim with my very on children every summer. It was a safe place, a refuge. There in a few weeks I found hope and courage to make it through the rest of the year. Now as an adult, I take my children there, we share so many of the same traditons….listening to the birthday song as only my Grandparents and family can sing it…Bless oh Lord this food…squeals in the pool, grandpa in the garden, homemade fruit salad and multiple trips to the store for things that can probably be found in the chasms of the basement or freezer. I find myself surrounded by my cousins, my safety nets, my hope, my aunts who love me know matter what and I always cry when my Grandma hugs me the first time we lay eyes on eachother after a few long months.
This is who I am, all of me.

>Usually, I have tops too low cut for the homeschool crowd, but not risque enough for the others, who ever they are.
Too, liberal for my conservative christian faith, but to conservative to be considered important enough to take serious.
Usually, I am not easily offended, but most of the time I don’t let that mean I can’t say the truth I have come to witness in my story.
Mostly, I am opinionated, but my opinions don’t fit the box, any box.
I have friends from both sides of the tracks of politics, socio-economics and faith, I love them all and they love me, or at least encouraged. I am not sure where I fit.
My kids only like me every now and again, my husband likes me more every day, and I like myself enough to be happy when I wake up.
I go to bed in peace if I know that God and husband are pleased and blessed by life, in that order, (but I have found if I am pleasing my husband I know that God is pleased), that is another really conservative view….apparently.
Trauma changed me once for the worse, but now I am becoming more of my best every day in every part and every way.
The shape of my box has never been one that can be easily wrapped in any roll of paper.
I am ok with that, today.
This is where I am at today.
How about you? Now tell someone.