Any questions?

Ya know.

I cant remember the last time I felt upset about my parents getting divorced.

I was 3 when it happened, and my parents were always good friends.

They created a good life for me.  So, I never really had super bad feelings toward the whole situation.

Until last night.

Last night when I thought it would be darling to create this stupid family tree.

It took me over 2 hours.

and made me grumpy as all get out.

Stupid divorce making me take so long to make my stupid family tree.

It's a good thing I'm posting this this morning, because I was on fire last night.

Okay.  

So use the illustrations to try to keep up.

Okay! Okay!?

Okay.

I think we should move to the left here for a minute.

1.I have 4 sisters (chronological order here)

   a. Kasey - Kasey is my closest sister in age.  And life samesieness.  We have been through sooooo much together.  Our kids are close in age. We are best friends.  Kasey is a bleeding heart, responsible, dependable, hilarious, and for many intents and purposes, is the glue that keeps our family nice and cozy.  She loves her family and friends fiercely and there is NOTHING she wouldn't do for them.  She is a wife to Kris, and the mommy of Sager man (half boy half dino) and Maddox (jackjacks homeboy) Kasey is a babe & we look alike :) Even though.. Different moms. Different dads. 

   b. Miranda - Miranda is the sister that I actually grew up with.  We were raised in the same house with our mommy.  Poor little lamb.  She endured many a nights April abuse.  I wasn't always perfect okay.  But I sure had my mom fooled. (hi mom!)  Which is why she left me to babysit (ie lock miranda in her room while all of my friends came over) while she waitressed weekend nights at our family restaurant, The Market Grill.  But now, we are super close.  She is also one of my best friends, and confidants.  She helps me tremendously with anything that I have going on and is super smart/creative/crafty/annoyingly so.  I know I am name dropping here, but she is a RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT in her ward.  I think its okay to brag.  Okay for me, okay for you.  I like bragging.  Miranda is shamefully pretty..  Same mom. Different Dads   

  

   c. Devyn - Oh my little Devyn Michele.  Devyn is probably the most like me.  A little bit good.  A little bit mischievous.  A lot of fun!!! BUT WITH KILLER DIMPLES!  LUCKY!  She is currently living with us.  As did she from July 10 until Feb 11.  I couldn't have survived my pregnancy without her.  She was so helpful to have around, and took good care of my family and house when Jack was sucking the life out of me for 9 months.  Devyn has overcome several trials, and made so many wonderful changes to her life and attitude.  She is such a great friend and hard worker.  To know her is to love her.  I couldn't be more proud of the little woman she is becoming!  Same dad.  Different moms.

  

 d. Taylor Shay - Oh Taylor Shay.  I can't talk about Devyn, Taylor, and Jace without being so sentimental about them.  They are my babies.  My teeny tiny babies who I just love.  (see footnote 1)

Taylor is SUCH a good girl.  She is such a good yittle girl.  She obeys the rules.  She gets 4.0's. She hates confrontation.  She is honest as the day is long.  She is a best friend to everyone.  She is 6'2!  What!  Ya.  6'2.  She is currently on a full ride scholarship to BYU hawaii playing basketball.  It is such a good place for her to be.  She is such a spiritual little thing too.  And not having been raised in an active LDS house, it is a good place for her to feed her spiritual.. horse? Not horse.  Feed whatever spiritual thing she wants to feed... Anyways.. Taylor is the sweetest most thoughtful girl you will ever meet.  She is Tatum's very best friend, and always makes her feel so special.  I especially love her for that. And her horse pony tail that reaches her rump.  Same dads. Different moms.

2. I have 2 Brothers.

a. Jessie -   Jessie is Kasey's full brother.  :)  Jessie is my sibling that it took the longest to bond with... Not for lack of love or character, but when we met Jessie was 7 and I was 16.  And selfish... Which is neither here nor there.. What matters is now Jessie and I get a long great!.  Ryan really adores him, and thinks every thing that comes out of his mouth is hilarious. (which it is)  Jessie is a fun loving kid, that has a love for all things Emery County and Loud Music.  He is very knowledgeable about things of his interest, and wants others to be enriched by them too.  It's very endearing.  He has also turned out to be such a good little man, and husband.  *he surprised his wife with a new car last weekend!* Hello! Ryan!  Hello! I such an old lady, but I really am excited to watch his life unfold.  Him and his darling wife Rhiannon are such a cute couple, and they are going to create such a cuter little EC loving family one day! Different dads. Different moms.

   b. Jace -  Oh my sweet yittle baby Jace. Jace. Jace..  Jace is the baby of the family.  A title he wears well.  When he was little, he liked to dress in dresses, and had THE most adorable lisp.  I wish he still had both of those traits.  I think he's glad they have gone away.. Jace Skateboards.  His pants don't fit, and he likes girls and video games.  And I love him.  He couldn't be any more perfect to me.  Jace and his friends came up to snowboard and were staying at my house a few weekends ago.  A few things about that.. Teenage boys can drink an impressive amount of drinkable items.  I watched Jace drink 2 mountain dews, a yoohoo, and an orange shasta in an alarming amount of time.  They say JAW DROPPING things.  Which is to say something, because I know some pretty foul mouthed people. (steph.  you know steph.) And sometimes they (the friends) kiss my sister Devyn.  Which is also something.  Same dads. Different moms.

So, there it is.  MY family.  Whom I love very much, and who's blood does not matter.  We are brothers and sisters.. And even actually, Miranda is close with my other siblings.  And my mom is close with my other siblings.  And if my Dad & Delynn, are in the cedar city area, it wouldn't be unheard of them to stop by my mom's house for a spot of coffee with her and Stevie.  

Maybe all of this lunacy is where Ryan, Me, Eric, and Hayley learned to get a long so well.  Examples.  To each their own.  A great example of divorce.  I guess so.  Because we are all quite a happy crazy family despite it all.  

Footnote 1.  My dad has always had custody of Devyn Taylor and Jace (which makes him a rockstar.)  My dad and their mother split when they were 2, 1, and 3 months. THE CUTEST LITTLE BABIES EVER!! I moved to Emery to help my dad out at that time.  I was 15, and only lasted about 3 months before the selfish screams of my high school life wooed me back to Cedar.  But that is why I feel so motherly towards them.  They are my babies.  Or they were my babies, until Delynn came along with her two kids and saved every ones life.  Truly a God send.

Footnote 2:  Kasey and Jessie's father passed away when they were young.

Footnote 3.  There are a few people missing from my family tree.  This is not out of spite, or anything negative.  It's just that as of right now, (for various reasons) are not a part of my life, thus my blog.  I feel the tides changing a little bit, and hope and pray that one day soon my lunatic tree will grow, giving me more brothers and sister(s).  And more nieces and nephews for my kids.  I hope, I hope, I hope.  And invite them (should they read this) to be a part of my life in anyway that they feel comfortable! I would more than welcome with open arms (and lunacy)

So with that, you can see that coming from a broken  rearranged family, does not go without pain.  We have all endured our more than fair share.  Trials trials and more trials have plagued both sides of my family.  But love has always conquered and what hasn't killed us, has DEFINITELY made us stronger.  

I am eternally grateful for each and every member of my family.  I am grateful for each road that has brought them into my life.  In one way or another. We were all supposed to be together.  

I know this church is true.

I love my mom and dad.

Amen.

*Post Edit*

Some real life pics.

Just in case the identical stick figures were confusing.