Let me start by saying that I've been contemplating how I want to write this post for a loooooong time.
I LOVE and ADORE my family and there's so many many wonderful things I'd love to share about them, but it would take countless blog entries to sum it all up (and though they would find it entertaining, it might bore some of you).
Therefore, I'm going to introduce you to my family and attempt to sum up what incredible people they are in more of a succinct manner. I figure I can at least start with the basics...
Allow me to introduce you...
First up - Ry Guy. My husband, Ryan Thomas. Boy, is he handsome! You have definitely seen and read about this guy throughout my past blog entries, but here's some tidbits you might not know...
Ryan is wicked smart! He is a CPA (like me) and currently works as a public accountant (auditor). He is very analytical and likes to think things through. He may come off as quiet, but don't let that fool you - he hears everything and is digesting it and formulating thoughts and questions. Ryan is also a health and fitness nut and has a rockin' bod to prove it! He works out 5ish days a week and tries very hard to eat healthy (I'm kind of a bad influence hehe). Ryan has the BIGGEST heart and is so fun to do anything with (even grocery shopping, which I abhor!). He takes such good care of me and I truly find myself loving him more each and every day.
Carolyn (aka Cdawg) is my oldest sister. She lives in Cbus with me and is a social media expert, which is a good thing, because that happens to be her job. She is an incredibly talented singer (and actress and dancer) and recently starred in SNAP! (see picture below). I used to share the artsy thing with Carolyn, but she is SOOOO much better than me and I have a lot more fun watching and supporting her in her endeavors than I ever did partaking in them! She loves to cook, crochet and play with her dog, Hershey. She is hilarious (as in my top 3 funniest people I personally know) and does FANTASTIC impersonations! She also has a heart of gold and would literally give the shirt off her back to someone in need (she used to buy all the siblings presents with her hard-earned babysitting money).
Aileen aka Proncess (later upgraded to "Q," short for Queen) is the second oldest. Carolyn, Aileen and I are all one year apart. Gasp! Don't freak out yet - we're not even halfway through the siblings! Aileen is the brainiac and beauty of the family. She always had the best grades, earned incredible scholarships and is currently kicking a*s as a family and child attorney in Chicago. Yeah, she rocks! Aileen is super sassy and intimidates a lot of people with her poise and confidence. She is always lookin' good and takes pride in her physical and emotional well-being. Aileen loves family more than anything else in the world and does so much to show us all that (particularly when it comes to greeting cards)! I am super close with Aileen and hope that in the near future we can coexist in the same city.
Me, Mosey - ya'll know me ;-)
My brother, Jeffery (yes "e-r-y") aka HEFFE, is a year and a half younger than me and THE ONLY BOY amongst the siblings.
Gasp! Yes, you can gasp now. My mom likes to tell people that her and my dad achieved perfection on the 1st try and that's why there's only one boy. I like to tell people that Heffe is a lot like me - we hung out a lot together when we were little - playing legos, working our paper route, drinking Tim Horton's iced caps, doing basketball drills in the driveway, etc. As we got older, we took similar paths - went to Miami University for undergrad, majored in accounting, worked in public accounting and got our CPA's, and Heffe even lived with me for a while after he graduated college. And the best thing we have common? We both found the most incredible people as soul mates... see Miss Anissa below (and check out her new blog
here).
Moving on to "the babies" of the family... Amy aka Amish is the second youngest, and there is a bit of an age break between her and Heffe. Amy was the most hilarious toddler and it has definitely transpired into her adulthood. She is BFF with the baby of the family, Laura and I love that they are super close (yet opposites in many ways). Amy also went to Miami for undergrad (yay!) and is now a kick-butt special needs teacher. I honestly don't know how she does it. For someone who cries at the drop of a hat, she has an indescribable gift when it comes to interacting with her students. She is patient, understanding and exudes so much trust and likability. She's my baby sister and I look up to her so much in her role as teacher.
Laura aka Gaga aka Googoo aka Hippie aka Laura Bean aka Wizzard Pizzard Chizzard Blizzard Lizzard... yeah, don't ask. Laura is the baby of the family and though she acted as such when she was young, she has matured into an amazing woman and I often think that she is older than her age. I call her mini-me because we think and act alike. We have a very similar demeanor and I would refer to us as the peacemakers of the family. Laura went to Loyola in Chicago for undergrad and is in her 1st year of teaching as a Spanish Teacher. She lives in Chicago near Aileen (duh! for those of you who read my recent Chicago
post).
Where do I even begin with my parents????? My siblings and I are in awe of my parents and if you get us started talking about them, we won't shut up! My mom has worn so many hats over the course of her life - wife, mother, sibling, daughter, nurse, teacher, artist, professional decorator, gardener, chef, seamstress, athlete, chauffeur, protector of children, horticulturist, jack of all trades, etc. Essentially, she is THE BEST MOTHER EVER! I may be biased, but she is wonder woman. I don't think I realized until I was in my 20's what a feat it must have been to raise 6 kids and do everything she did for us and my dad and so many others. She has touched so many lives and still has so much life left to live! PS - check out her picture below - LOOKGOOD - she often gets mistaken for one of the daughters in family pics ;-)
My dad - aka Jeffery Senior - aka Senor Heffe! My dad is the hardest working person and smartest person I know. When we were growing up, he told us that when he was in school and the teacher's were doing a lesson on something he already knew, he got to go to the library and build computers instead of sitting in class. I bragged about this to all my friends (naturally). My dad is an IT guy and he'll tell that you that he "works for a restaurant company." He loves to share that with people, especially when we're out to eat. My dad was SOOOOO strict when I was growing up - seriously - but I think the discipline and responsibility he gave us has helped us tremendously in our lives. After we all went to college, my dad became a lot cooler. He played a huge part in helping us all choose our career paths and he loves making us cocktails and hearing about our lives.
My parents
Enjoy some photos from this past weekend below!
Me & my love
We really like doing thumbs up
It's rare for these 2 to take a normal picture
BFF's, Amy & Laura (aka Mary Kate and Ashley)
Nothin' Aileen loves more than family
Anissa and Amy are roomies currently - have I mentioned that?
Heffe beating up on Laura and Amy helping (we all love to pick on the baby)
Cute shot of Amy - not sure what Heffe's doing
The 3 youngest in the family
Me & Ry Guy
Aileen LOVES taking "senior pictures"
I snuck this shot at the end of Carolyn's show - she's in the white dress. We were all so proud!!!
Carolyn and my parents after the show
ALL the siblings - We don't look alike at all ;-)
Hope you enjoyed a closer look into the lives of my family!
