Family

If I haven't said it before, I'm pretty much obsessed with my family. My cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, sisters, parents, and even all of their dogs. I know most everyone's birthdays by heart and whether or not I send them a card or gift, I think about that person on their special day. (Happy Birthday today Mames!) My family is so precious to me. Some of the very best memories I have are with my big crazy extended family. We have a whole bunch of crazy traditions that we may or may not do anymore, but I still treasure all of the memories.    I'd like to share a few with you.

-Every Thanksgiving or Christmas, whichever one we are all together for, my cousin Amy and I make the fruit salad. This is a tradition we take very seriously. I'm pretty sure it started when both of us were little and in the way but wanted to help because we both liked to cook, and we both still do. I'm sure a mom or a grandma said, here, take these cans and open them and cut the fruit into smaller pieces and then add these other things and get out of the way while you're doing it. And I'm sure our little 9 and 10 year old selves were ecstatic to help with the meal and feel important. Amy and I, in our mid 20's, still open all the cans and cut the smaller pieces and add stuff to it. We've even developed a secret ingredient. It's the best fruit salad in the world.

-When we used to have our big giant Christmas Eve celebrations, Nanny, would always plan some crazy awesome thing. One year we all had fuzzy socks and clickers, one year her and Papa made all of us matching striped pajamas, and then Nanny's last year with us we had the biggest time. What started out with a luau complete with a pig, pineapples, and hula skirts turned into a night of Irish dancing. Little cousins and big cousins, moms and dads, all jumping and spinning around to the sounds of some Irish melody. It remains one of the best nights of my life, some of the sweetest memories I have with my family.

-Sleeping. This family knows how to sleep. After a big meal, or not after a big meal, when there is a Whittenberg gathering there is someone napping. We're all really good at just picking a nap spot and snoozing away. My new little cousin, my cousin Ashley's son, is only 9 months old and he is a phenomenal sleeper. The kid sleeps like 10 hours a night and has since he was a few weeks old. We are all like this.

-Movies. Every time we get together for a big holiday, we all pick out a movie to go see together. During the year, when we see previews for movies that are coming out on a holiday, we say to each other, oh that would be a good one to see together this year. And everyone knows what that means. Then all 25 or so, the number keeps growing as we keep getting married, take up 2 rows in the theater and pass popcorn and drinks all up and down the aisle.

-Coffee. We are the coffee drinkingest bunch I've ever known. All of my uncles pride themselves on their perfected cups of coffee. I look forward to drinking coffee with my family around the table and telling the same stories and laughing at the same memories every year. 

The little cousins plus 3 big ones and Nanny on Easter. It's funny to look at this now, all the "little" cousins are in their teens!

One of the rare pictures of us girls with our mom. She was always behind the camera and rarely in front of it. I'm going to try to learn from that and make more of an effort to be included in the pictures.

Anyone notice the little dog attacking Charise? We were trying to take a picture on the way to the *N Sync concert and this little pup would not leave us alone. He really wanted to eat Charise's pant leg. I love how Chandee and I are both unconcerned with our little sister's plight.

This year most of us were able to be together at balloon fiesta time, and we celebrated two big birthdays this year. Seth turned 16 and Madison turned 13. Big years, you know. And when we all gathered around the table to pray before we filled our plates, our sweet Seth shared a few words with us. He talked about how much he loves his family and how we love each other. He talked about how cool it is when we all get to be together and how precious those times are. He said it out loud, but we all know it on our hearts. We are a family. No matter what or where we are, we love each other.

Me, Shley, and Mames. Two of the best of cousins. We've been through a lot of life together!

This is me sometime around 6 or so? Nanny and her mom Gammy. These two women shaped our family.

Cousins and sisters at my graduation from high school in 2003.

My sweet Papa and me on my wedding day.

Cousins and sisters plus our Nanny. We would always spend a week with them during the summer, I think this is us on the way home. Aren't we so cool?

To my family...I love and cherish each of you. Thank you for shaping me into who I am.