Family-Part 1

Yesterday we had Christmas with my kids. That meant that my daughter Jenna and her husband Joel as well as my son Josh came to our place for dinner and to open our Christmas gifts to each other. We don't see Jenna and Joel on Christmas as they spend the day with Jenna's mom and Joel's parents in Central Washington. I haven't had an actual holiday with Jenna since her mom and I split more than 10 years ago. 

We spend the actual Christmas Day with Josh and Kathleen's daughter Michelle and her husband Brian. So, a few days after Christmas we get together with Jenna and Joel and exchange gifts and have dinner. Yesterday we did a late lunch/early dinner so that they could be back home in time for Joel to go to work at 6:30.

Joel is a Washington State trooper. Tomorrow will be his fourth anniversary of being with the State Patrol. We were honored four years ago today to be able to attend his graduation. 

This whole day brought about what has become a wandering, multi-part treatise on my family. 

It is very strange writing this when I know that for now, Kathleen (the love of my life) will be the only person reading this and she already knows it all but that will probably not be the case forever so I guess I am writing much of this for what I hope will be future readers and for myself. 

That said, here is a brief bio on each of our kids from my point of view.

Michelle is Kathleen's daughter. She is the oldest of our offspring at 30. She will be 31 in February. Kathleen always says that she (Michelle) and I have more in common than Michelle does with her mom. In many ways that is true. Michelle is a graphic designer (so am I, primarily). One of her loves is cooking as is mine. I have always appreciated Michelle in that she has (at least from my point of view) accepted me in her mother's life from the start. Michelle is employed right now as a graphic designer by an insurance company. It's a job and in this economy that's a good thing. But I know she isn't really happy about it as it is not the most creative job in the world and she has had a lot better ones. But it does pay a wage and provide benefits until something better comes along. 

She and her husband Brian live in their gorgeous new home in Bothell (which is about 30 minutes north of us) with two great cats. We see them every three or four weeks when we invite them over for dinner with Josh. And we get invited to their place at least once each year on Mother's Day. I have to admit that this is somewhat my fault as I love to cook and always want them to come here so I can cook. But when we do go there, her cooking is better than mine. 

I have always appreciated Michelle immensely. She has always accepted me in her Mom's life which is more than I can say for my daughter's acceptance of Kathleen when we first got together but more about that in the future. For now suffice it to say that I have what I feel is a good relationship with her. Her husband introduces me as her stepfather but I can truthfully say that I have never thought of her that way. I have always thought of her as both Kathleen's daughter and a friend.