Meet The Family

When Simms first met my Dad's side of the family it was all at once. Could definitely be daunting but they are oh-so-much-fun that he survived and didn't run away!

You know how when people visit family and afterwards say that the visit was 'just long enough' or 'too long'? I never say that when we visit Long Island. Never. I am always sad when we have to say good-bye. Don't get me wrong - we are packed up and ready to go and I know we need to return to life in PA but deep inside I would be completely content to spend time with them forever and ever and ever. This is also why my heart cries out passionately for each and every one of my loved ones to know and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Anyhoo.

Without further delay...meet my family (well, a small portion of it anyway!)

Bones - He is the next oldest cousin; a month younger than me. I'm the oldest on my Dad's side. Needless to say we grew up more as brother and sister than as cousins. He is so precious to me. Words cannot do justice to capture the essence of our relationship. He is a "what you see is what you get" person...for the most part. However, there is a lot about him that he doesn't let people "see". Bones has been his nickname forever. His Grandfather nicknamed him this because of his size...he was so slender you could see his bones. It was so special to be able to stay with them this last visit and have more than a mere few hours to visit.

Frida - This is Bones' wife. They mutually adore each other. We are so grateful for her. She is lively, spontaneous, and full of spunk. She is an amazing artist and Jeter wishes that she was his art teacher! Her name reflects this because it is after a female artist that is well known for her self-portraits. Our Frida is expecting either a Baby Bones or a Baby Frida. We are all so excited and are praying for a healthy baby!

Monkey Girl - I don't know why she chose this name. She says it's her nickname. This is Bones' daughter. She is beautiful and nothing about her resembles a monkey to me...but I am going to honor her request anyway. Jeter always looks forward to spending time with her. We are so blessed to have her in our family and look forward to many more visits!

The Good Guy - this is Bones brother. He is 9 months older than lil' sis. Maybe he was like a little brother to me in my youth, but as we have grown up he has definitely become a close brother and friend to me and my family. He has an infectious laugh and wonderful sense of humor. He views life with optimism and does his best to not allow the circumstances to rule him. Life has not been easy but I am proud of how he has ultimately handled the pitches that have come his way. As far as I am concerned, he keeps hitting homeruns!

Ape - what is with the monkey theme? I don't know. This must have happened after I moved! Anyway, Ape is The Good Guy's wife. We are thrilled to have her in our family! She and Good Guy were high school sweethearts that took a break and then realized that they were truly meant to be together forever! She has a tender heart and is wholly devoted to family. I always enjoy our chats and long for true talks. Unfortunately that is what happens when you are separated by 4-5 hours. On another note, Simms and her could pass as brother and sister!

Knuckles - this is the firstborn of Good Guy and Ape. He is a couple weeks younger than Brady and you can tell the two of them are related. He is so cute. Very bubbly personality! His smile can capture your heart in seconds! Jeter and Barber enjoyed playing with him a lot!!!

Ling - Ling is a mere 10 weeks old. She is Knuckles little sister and oh so adorable. It was very strange attempting to hold a newborn again! I better get used to it though since my lil' sis is due in January. She has dark hair and blue eyes (for now anyway). You can totally tell that she and Knuckles are related. We were on LI for her Christening this weekend.

Mickey - Mickey is the little sis of Bones and Good Guy. She is ten years younger than me and I will fully admit that I didn't pay much attention to her in her youth. Isn't that horrible?!?!? Now? She is a sister to me and a dear friend. I love her so much and life just isn't complete without a late night talk with her during a visit. BTW, that didn't really happen this past visit and it totally feels like that portion of the visit is incomplete / empty! She loves God with her whole heart and dedicates her life to Him. She is similar to Bones in the fact that she is very real to everyone she meets but there are multiple levels to her realness.

Finally, the parents and grandparents to this bunch are MamaMia and UncleB. They didn't pick their names so it is entirely possible they may change. But for now, this is it. UncleB is my Dad's brother. In many ways he is another father to me. I know he loves me like a daughter and am thankful to have him in my life. MamaMia is 100% Italian and has rubbed off on me in many ways. She is like a second mom to me (kind of like how lil' sis is to Jeter and Barber). She is another one who I enjoy having late night talks with and didn't get to this time. Next time MamaMia, next time.

So that's it. I know...it is a lot. Trust me, it doesn't even scratch the surface! I would love for them to start blogging so that I can keep up with their lives more easily. The problem with that is #1 they have to log on to the computer (Good Guy and Bones rarely do this, if ever) and #2 they have to write and kind of enjoy it. I think I hear a low giggle growing into a big belly laugh...all the way from LI. Oh well.