Just a couple of weekends ago my little brother graduated from high school. Here's the required family photo minus Tom because he is always the one behind the camera.
My grandparents and aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends came in for the festivities. It was a great weekend. lots of fun and great to spend time with everyone. They all live in Kansas so we just don't get to see them as much as we'd like. 
My aunt and I are only four years apart and we have always been as thick as thieves. We find things funny that no one else does, we giggle to the point of annoying everyone one around us, we have our own little songs, almost to the point of our own language...and the 11 hour distance between us is dreadful. So I appreciate any event that brings us together.
This is Matthew and his precious friend Brittany. She's at my parents house almost as much as Matthew is so she's begun to feel like part of the family as well.
I truly can't believe he has graduated. He's 18. It was just yesterday that he was born. I was the first one to hold him. I sang James Taylor songs to him every day. I forced "good music" on him and tried to teach him to be open minded. He's going off to college in just a couple of months and I can't even think about how much I will miss him. My family means everything to me. I truly feel like I am the luckiest person in the world when it comes to family. My parents divorced when I was very young and my whole family made sure that I never saw the ugliness of divorce. No one ever said bad things about the other, in fact they all remained close. In fact my biological dad's sister was there at Matthew's (Matthew and I have different biological dad's) graduation right along side all of my family - let me just say, it pains me to say "step" in relation to family. I hate that word. He's my dad. His family is my family. Anyway, I am lucky is my point.
The last couple of weeks have been trying. Both my grandmother and Tom's grandmother have had some health issues that have had us worried. Times like these, stuff like that just really makes you take stock and say your thanks. I have the best family. Hands down.
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