First Time For Something...

Are you shocked? You should be....two posts in one week. Actually, two days in a row...must be some kind of record. For me, at least. Well, don't get too excited, because this is not going to be much of a post. I just had a couple things I wanted to put down, in anticipation of a post to come, hopefully later in the week.

If you have read anything I have written before, you know that I have a son, and he means the world to me. Well, that son of mine, is turning SIX on Friday! I can't believe it! How can it be? Well, it is really happening. And, this year, for the first time since he turned one, he is actually having a birthday party! I am giving him a party. That is yet another strange concept for me, as I have never, ever, I repeat, EVER, planned a birthday party, for ANYONE, ever before. I have gotten a lot of pointers from on-line resources, and I have been to a few parties for children this summer, so I got some ideas from them. I hope I do okay. I hope Gavin is happy with the results. I look forward to making him happy, because he so deserves it. He is the best!

Family

My child brought this home from school today. This is our family. This is the family he has known most of his life. We have other family members, but he has not known most of them, most of his life. It saddens me, just a little. I have parents, and so they are his grandparents. And he knows them, and has spent time with them. We live far away from them, but that can not be helped. We had to move to become the people we are today.  Even when we lived closed to them, we did not see them often. Schedules just don't always permit that. That is just how life can be sometimes, I guess.





I grew up with a Mom, Dad, and two brothers. That was my family. I had a LOT more family that I hardly ever saw. I have family, including sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles, that I have only seen once or twice, my whole life. We grew up in our own little world, it seems. We did not do big family dinners on holidays but once or twice my whole life. We had family who lived in the same town that we only saw occasionally. As an adult, I do not quite understand that. I moved away when I was 17, and I met a family that spent lots of time together. They saw each other as often as possible. They had Sunday dinners, they had weekend barbecues. They really knew each other. They loved to spend time together. I did not get to spend much time with them, but I enjoyed the time I did. 



I have so many cousins, on so many levels (seconds, thirds, fourths), that I do not know who all of them are. I have met some on Facebook that I have never met in real life. I have learned of others that are no longer on Earth, that I did not even know existed until it was too late. I know some people can't fathom this, but this is my life. I grew up in Florida, and many of my family members grew up in Texas. We did not go to Texas but a few times when I was a child. Schedules and/or finances didn't permit it. That is just how life can be, sometimes.




I now have Gavin, who does not know any of these relatives, the same ones I did not know growing up, and schedules, and finances have not permitted us to meet them. I hope someday we get to meet them, before they are no longer on the Earth, or neither are we. I am so happy we have Facebook, and texting, and phones, and Skype. We are able to keep up, a little, with what is going on in each others lives. I hope someday to be able to meet, and allow Gavin to meet, his family on my side.



Gavin has two sisters, they share a father. Well, they share a father's DNA. They are both AWESOME women, and I am proud to have them as a part of Gavin's life. They accept him, and love him, and accept me, because I am his mother, and that makes me happy. They have a family, on THEIR mother's side, who accepts Gavin as part of their family, although "technically, biologically", he is not. They are awesome people, as well. They have invited us to Atlanta, to spend Thanksgiving with their ENTIRE family (HUGE), which only gets together, all together, for Thanksgiving every few years, because of their size, and distance from each other, and their other sides, with marriages, and what-not. We REALLY want to go to this family gathering.




We are planning to rent a car, and drive to Atlanta the night before Thanksgiving, after I get off work. It is about 7 hours, so it shouldn't be a problem. The only problem, so far, is coming up with all the money to get there. Gavin's sisters' family is raising a lot. And, they are doing a great job. I am also trying to raise some, as much as I can, to cover the trip. The only money I need is for the rental, gas, and maybe a meal on the way, and one on the way back. I have a place to sleep, and food provided, once we get there. I am praying that God permits a way for us to go. I am hoping this great opportunity doesn't pass us by. If anyone knows a way to raise some money, please let me know. My schedule is pretty full, between work, school, and Gavin between now and Thanksgiving. I am trying to come up with ways to raise some of the money on my own. The family is doing a great job, and I want to try and match their efforts. If you can help, in any way, please send me an email at mcd.mel74@ymail.com



Thank you for reading.



Mel