Family

So at work today i was watching this family. They're regulars at the coffee counter at the mall; an older gentleman, probably in his 70s, and his two adult sons and their wives. The 5 of them come to the mall each morning, sometimes all of them, sometimes just a smattering of the group, but nearly every day they are there, taking their morning walk and then getting their coffee and sitting together for a morning chat. Every day. They also go to Wendover frequently and seem to be a very close family. They take turns paying for the coffee each morning. They're amazing, and I love seeing them each time I work the mall. The mornings when they aren't there are disappointing, because they are good people who love each other and take time out of their mornings to visit with their elderly father.

This made me think about how much I love my family. We're weird. And random. My parents split up almost two years ago now, and both of them are infinitely happier. Mom works nearly full time and this past spring went back to school full time, taking classes from home online. My dad lives about an hour or so away from my siblings, but every other weekend makes the trip down to pick them up and bring them back to Mom's house. He works hard, and is one of the funniest people you'll ever meet. Both of them instilled a STRONG love of music in all of us kids, and it shows daily in each of our lives.
My siblings are nuts.

Nick is 19, strong willed, impatient, passionate, short-tempered, goofy, nerdy, silly, and odd. He's an aspiring musician, his rock band just competed in the second round of a Battle of the Bands tournament. He loves hard rock, and tries to dress all edgy, but deep down he's a good kid with a heart of gold who in all reality just wants to be the best he can at everything.

Melissa is 13, and more of a teenager than I ever was. She's moody and cranky and bossy and pushy, but she's also loving and sweet and beautiful and so tender-hearted. The girl is such a fashionista, she picks outfits out for our mother when there are certain events to attend. This photo's caption was "my cinco de mayo outfit and hair for school"--- she planned an outfit for cinco de mayo for her spanish class.... yeah. My sister, the pretty one. She's stunning, and will definitely be taller than me.

My Porter-bug is 11, the baby, and my favorite (But i didnt say that). He's the sweetest, goofiest, funniest, cuddle-bug around and I love him so much. This kid loves playing Wii (hence the picture), he's the most athletic out of all of us, and will deny it- but is also one of the best singers in the family. He's got a temper on him, and is super-strong-willed, but 95% of the time this child is so laid back and easy to please. He eats like a horse, and is skinny as a pole. He'll be the tallest for sure (and Nick is 6'7" i think...). Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, sure to be a heartbreaker in High School, just saying.

I love them so freaking much. And as much as I enjoy living on my own, I miss them a ton, all the time. My mom is one of my best friends, believe it or not, and when I was living there before it was more like having a roommate and less like living with Mom. We make each other laugh, and if we spend even an hour together we start to finish each others sentences. Its crazy, and I miss it.
My dad and I hardly see each other at all, usually just when he's dropping the littlest two back off at Mom's place. Tonight though we met for dessert after I got off work, and that was fantastic. I miss Daddy Daughter Dates, and after a night of work that made me want to hurt people, it was exactly what I needed to feel like a real person again.

I don't know why I felt so compelled to dwell on my family tonight, but I love them so dearly, and after watching that family at the mall this morning I was glad I got to see at least one part of them today.