Day 9 - Family

 Families are funny sometimes.  There is always a mix of people, often an odd man out, sometimes some harsh words or gestures but in the end, they'd fight to the death for you.
I am feeling pretty blessed as I write yesterday's post.  I spent most of the day with some pretty amazing people and I know that I am lucky to have such a group to call 'mine'. My dad is one of 7 kids and we are so lucky that atleast once a year all 7 of them gather together with their kids and grandkids...usually it happens more like 2 or 3 times a year.  I have some amazing memories of my childhood with cousins from both sides of my family.  I was the lucky one as I lived right beside grandma and grandpa so when the cousins came to visit they also came to play with me too.  Family Christmas's have always been the highlight of the year with this group.  As kids we opened gifts and then got all dressed in our coats, pants, mitts etc and off we went to toboggan down the hills on the farm.  After a few hours (well it might have been a bit shorter then that...always long enough for the adults to exchange their gifts) we would come back in, having played off our turkey dinner and had hot chocolate with marshmallows and cookies.  Fun times for sure.  I have only missed one of these gatherings in all my 38 years.  Four years ago Christmas and our trip to Mt. Sinai overlapped.  That fated echo cardiogram, when we learned that our dreams of boys in matching outfits on Santa's knee the next Christmas had been shattered , happened when my family was all on their way to St. Catherine's area.  My amazing parents missed the gathering too as they came immediately to Toronto to be with Geoff and I.  The rest of the gang continued with their gathering but I am pretty certain the atmosphere was not the same. 
I know this because some of these very same relatives were my biggest support team in the weeks and months to come.  Some came to visit often, some called almost everyday.  Some made food, some hosted me for my first leave from the hospital in over a month. 
Family... the rock on which I stand sometimes. 
And the craziness of my family life at home everyday is also what keeps me going.  I already wrote about my boys and their affection but I just want to say again that I am so very blessed to have the three little men I live with, the one who guides me from above and the big lug I married... truly one of the greatest gifts ever....