Okay, a few people have been riled up by my anonymous mention of a family member that has an issue with some people in my life. While this is my blog and I can and do post whatever I want, I don’t want to talk about the definition of family anymore. While I opened the Pandora’s box, I am now closing it. No more need to defend me or anyone els based on how you see the issue that I mentioned previously.

Some things take too much time to express online and too many blanks are filled in through the internet. While this site has always been therapeutic for me – and will continue to be – I don’t want it to turn into a debate room. So for a while please refrain from discussing family. As for me, a good portion of my family now lives in Texas. My focus is now on readjusting my life to deal with this.

Thanks!

Gina

Per the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

Main Entry: 1fam·i·ly
Pronunciation: ‘fam-lE, ‘fa-m&-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -lies
Etymology: Middle English familie, from Latin familia household (including servants as well as kin of the householder), from famulus servant

1 : a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head : HOUSEHOLD
2 a : a group of persons of common ancestry : CLAN b : a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock : RACE
3 a : a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation : FELLOWSHIP b : the staff of a high official (as the President)
4 : a group of things related by common characteristics: as a : a closely related series of elements or chemical compounds b : a group of soils with similar chemical and physical properties (as texture, pH, and mineral content) that comprise a category ranking above the series and below the subgroup in soil classification c : a group of related languages descended from a single ancestral language
5 a : the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children; also : any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family (a single-parent family) b : spouse and children
6 a : a group of related plants or animals forming a category ranking above a genus and below an order and usually comprising several to many genera b in livestock breeding (1) : the descendants or line of a particular individual especially of some outstanding female (2) : an identifiable strain within a breed
7 : a set of curves or surfaces whose equations differ only in parameters
8 : a unit of a crime syndicate (as the Mafia) operating within a geographical area
– fam·i·ly·hood /-“hud/ noun

It’s funny that the definition many of you thought of first ended up at NUMBER 5……out of 8……..not much more above the Mafia…….

Food for thought…….

Well, Deana’s last weekend in California, also known as her Birthday Weekend, was a success! Amid the frantic sounds of packing and grunts as her brother’s moved furniture into the garage, festivities flowed like the Colorado River!

First, a recap of Saturday:

2 pm: Baby Shower for Beautiful Victoria, who thinks she’s having a girl but Anthony insists she’s having a boy. Too many laughs to recount but a wonderful time was had by all!

7 pm: Reservations at Tu Tu Tango in Orange, where the birthday festivities for Deana began. Our wonderful server was Sandy, daughter of Rona, who made us feel like royalty. And boy, she has lungs! She yelled very well to the room to announce Deana’s birthday!

9 pm: Reservations at Lucky Strike Lanes, where there were no 300 games in view. However, the company was awesome, the beat of the music addicting, and the laughter consistent.

Sunday:

2 pm: Deana’s birthday party begins (ironically, only the kids went swimming!). It was a quiet affair with reminiscing and laughter. There were times of bittersweet emotions as everyone knew Deana would be driving away for Texas within days. Including me!

10 pm: Gina, after taking a wonderful nap because she was still tired from the night before, actually packed up the computers and printers! Now what is Deana going to stress about????

Sounds kind of benign, but it was non-stop and LOTS of fun this weekend. Deana truly has A-Class friends and family that are loving and sincere – real people and that is wonderful. Each and every one touched her heart in a special way this weekend, and I was blessed to be able to witness it (and, at the the same time, have fun with them as well!)

Only one “down” moment for the weekend. I received a phone call at about 1pm on Sunday from a family member. Said member represents a huge portion of my heart and whom I have held in great favor my entire life. This person was who I modeled most of my adult life after, hoping to emulate all the qualities I found exceptional. However, this same person apparently refuses to want to have anything to do with Deana and her children. I am only speculating here, but I don’t know, it’s becoming more obvious. I mean, when we got back from Russia and I excitedly said “we’re coming over to see you!” so that Zack and Sophia could meet them, and I was told to only bring family members, I was stung (and, incidentally, did not go over). Well, actually quite devastated. Then, I hear from my EX-HUSBAND that this person’s spouse called him to say, “hey, can you visit with the kids, we would love to see you?” What the hell is THAT about since my ex is not “family”????? And then, I get a call at 1pm, very cold I might add, and hear “I said we would be coming today but will not be – just wanted you to know.” So, without hearing the exact words of rejection, I feel nothing but……and this time I am not hurt, I am not devastated! I am PISSED (excuse me French). This person represented so much to me and is someone I have loved completely my entire life. I will continue to love them, of course, but that doesn’t mean I have to continue letting them break my heart. and again, I am merely speculating at the reason of the rejection, but it seems tied to the fact that Deana adopted two wonderful children. And that, in itself, makes me utterly pissed off.

Now, if said family member reads this blog, which I highly doubt, feel free to let me know if my perception is wrong. But I have to say, I thought we were closer than that! I am tired of the games! And if this is coming from your spouse instead of you, shame on you! Because I have not done a damn thing wrong and I honestly am tired of the emotional games and obvious judgment being placed on me or Deana……if I wanted that I would not convince my own mother that I see her every week while it has actually been months!

Oops, I wrote way too much on that one so I better get back to the happy portion of this post!

Deana is happy, her kids are blossoming into extraordinary people, my own kids are thriving despite what others may think, and my life is wonderful……except that I will be missing Deana and she drives off into the sunset of Texas! Sigh. And today is my first day or working without her two rows away……so I think Wanda will be bugged so much that she will have to use her ruler! LOL

Thanks for reading. Oh, and thanks for the speech topics! I will let you know how that develops!

Update – Thanks for praying – just wanted to let you know that they had to reschedule the surgery for Deana’s dad to next week because the doctors forgot to tell him to stop taking his blood thinning meds. So he will stop taking them today and his system should be ready in about a week.

Hey Everyone,

If you think of it, please pray for Deana and her family this morning – her dad is going in for open heart surgery at 7am PDT. Obviously his heart needs help, but there are other factors with his health that make this surgery even more risky.

Deana, her sister Stephanie, and the kids are about to leave – yep, it’s pretty early here.

I will update the blog if/when I hear more.

Thanks!

I tried to post yesterday, but due to technical difficulties, my beautifully written words were lost and the post is in blog heaven! So today, I will try again!

Let’s see, where to begin!

• Drama – Deana sometimes asks me why I post some of my innermost feelings on a public venue. Well, I guess it’s therapeutic in a way. More so are the prayers that were lifted up in my behalf, which I have felt and appreciated! The “drama” of my heart being broken has been PARTIALLY resolved. I feel much better moving forward and the pain I experienced has diminished significantly.
• Kenny – On Tuesday night I had an awesome time with my son. We were doing our devotions (called “devos” in my house) and he was getting all excited because he was looking forward to telling some of his friends at school what he had learned (we were finishing up Exodus and apparently the school had been covering some Jewish beliefs recently). Further, he randomly asked, “Hey Mom, if the devil ruled on the earth, you know how that is gonna happen, would you bow to him?” I told him no and said I might be scared of what would happen to me, but that even if I died I would rather die and be with the Lord then never see the Lord and live. He went on to say, “I wouldn’t be scared, because either Jesus would protect me and I wouldn’t be hurt, or I would die and be with Him. So I guess I win either way.” I was so happy at that moment and totally blessed. And, of course, the timing was perfect!
• Josh – He is a real swimmer now, no jackets or floaties or anything! He even swam all the way across the pool without stopping! I am so proud of him. He even tried diving, which amounted to being more like belly flops, but for being a little hesitant to take chances he has really blossomed (and he STILL loves to read for fun like his MOM!)
• Zack and Sophia – they are adjusting to their new lives amazingly well. Every day when I come home from work I hear Zack screaming, “Gina, spateneetzia!” (Gina, look!) and he shows me all the things he has done during the day (or flips into the pool, or dances before jumping in the pool or you name it!). Sophia follows me around, calling my name, and otherwise wrestling with me.
• Deana – is doing well being a mom…..so well, she is even better at bossing ME around! LOL Just kidding. She is very happy.
• Stephanie – she is a wonderful nanny and I love her.

Okay, that is it for now!