Tiffany’s Corner

What is it about family? Why do they have to make our lives so miserable sometimes? It’s Thanksgiving week, the beginning of the holiday season. And all we hear about at this time of year is how important it is to spend time with family. But what do you do if your family doesn’t want to have anything to do with you?!

Playing Barbies

I have a sister. Yeah, most people know that. But I bet you don’t know that most of the time I feel like she doesn’t want to have anthing to do with me. I see posters and magnets and cards and such all saying things like “Forever My Sister, Forever My Friend.” It breaks my heart. I wish I knew what it was that I had done to end up with a sibling that regards me as warmly as she would regard the black plague.

Now, some of you might say, “Don’t take it so personal. It probably has nothing to do with you.” Others of you might say, “She’s young and married and she needs to live her own life! She’ll come around!” Yeah, well. I’ve tried telling myself that since we were kids. (The part about her coming around, not the part about her being married!) So far, it’s not very convincing.

There’s a new movie coming out for the Holidays starring Reese Witherspoon. It’s about her and her boyfriend trying to escape the family shenanigans of Xmas, but when their plans get cancelled at the last minute, they are forced to endure not one, but Four Christmases! It looks hilarious, right along the lines of every other goofy holiday movie. But it reminds me again of my sister.

Her and her husband hinted at the idea of going to Vegas for Christmas. When I first heard the idea I was upset. I felt betrayed and left out in the cold. How could she not spend time with me during the Holidays?!

But it’s her life right? I should be happy for her and her husband to be able to get away to a sunny place for a few days. Although if it were me, I’d choose Hawaii or Florida, someplace with less gambling and topless women (okay, maybe that eliminates Florida). But whatever, I guess it’s her Xmas and hopefully James and I will have the same opportunity at some point.

I am having a hard time dealing with all of this newness I guess. You see, in my mind, I am still living at home, my sister is still my little sister, and my parents are still planning everything and asking us to set the table for dinner.

I remember my childhood as mostly happy, with some upsets (namely a move to NC and back) along the way. But through it all, the four of us, my little sister, my parents, and me, we stuck it out. We made it work. We were the Wards.

But now, I’m part of the Burdettes and my sister is a Juarez. I kind of feel like I’m loosing hold of everything. Like, if she doesn’t come to Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, she’ll won’t come next year or the year after that. I’m almost to the point of wondering if I’ll ever see her again…

Does this sound insane? Does anyone else have these feelings? Why can’t our little family just stay the way it was, the way it used to be? It worked then. Why can’t it work now?

Part of me feels like she owes me. We’re almost 5 years apart. Me being older. Most of my adolescence was spent taking care of her. No big deal, that what big sister are for, free babysitting, right? But now that we’re older and can take care of ourselves, shouldn’t I get some kind of payback? Some kind of reward for always being the responsible one? For always setting the good example? For always saying Yes Sir and No Sir to my parents? For keeping the real Santa a secret until little sis figured it out?

The Bridge

Why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we hang out and go shopping? What’s so wrong with me that it’s against every fiber of her  being to be seen with me?

I hear questions like these coming from my parents almost every day. Why doesn’t Brittany care about us? Why doesn’t she ever come over for dinner? What have we done to deserve this?

Then a thought occured to me tonight. I was raised in Washington State. All of my extended family resides on the East Coast, mostly Florida. You see what I’m saying? For more that 25 years my parents have been doing the same thing to their family that my sister is doing to mine! If you don’t want to deal with it, run away! If Mom and Dad can do it, why can’t little sis?

I don’t know. I just don’t know what I can do to change this situation. And maybe that’s the epiphany that I need. It’s not up to me. I can’t fix or change everything-although that is my ultimate goal in life.

No, seriously. Ultimately the dynamics of my family are in God’s hands. I have to stop trying. I have to let it go. I have to trust in Him and know that everything will work out the way it’s meant too. Regardless of how broken my heart is right now.

Me being obnoxious on a mini-roadtrip

I know you’ve missed me, so here I am!
I have to apologize, sometimes I just get to busy with life, or too lazy to get on here and post a blog. I’d like to share a few pics with you from a hike we went on a few weekends ago. It was a little wet out, but that’s the best when you go hiking in Washington, right?!

We visited a trail just a few miles from my parent’s house in Darrington/Arlington. The trail was 1.25 miles each way, pretty easy with a few hills. The trail takes you past Boulder Falls, you don’t get to see that waterfall, it’s somewhere below the trail (you can here it!), but you do get to see this beautiful one. We sat on a little bench and ate our sandwiches admiring this lovely scene.

 And finally, here’s a pic of James and I at the base of the falls returning to our car. This was a pretty short hike, we had plans to meet up with the rest of my family to celebrate my sister’s husband’s Bday. Happy Bday Ben!

After visiting with the family at Britt’s cabin, we ventured outside to play with the dogs and throw the frisbee.

After wearing out the dogs, Brittany discovered a little baby duckling all alone in the grass. We just had to pick it up and pet it real quick before returning it to it’s very angry momma!

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Okay, I’d like to try something new here. I know, from watching the traffic on my website, that business has been slowly increasing over the past few months. Yay! I’d really like the chance to get to know some of the people reading my little rants and looking at my pictures. Please, take a moment and leave me a comment. If there’s something you wish I would talk about, please tell me. But most importantly, before you leave please answer these two questions:

1. What is the worst smell in the world to wake up to?

2. What is the funniest commercial on TV right now?