I think it would be fair to say that my family is an odd bunch. Both my mom and dad came from families with five kids each; as a result you can’t throw a stick in North Texas without hitting someone kin. We come from pretty humble beginnings and still live in pretty humble presents. Some of us are little bit country, some a little bit city, and most a pretty good mash-up of both. Some of us are nerds and geeks and others are shit-kickers and hell raisers. We’re not the most huggy bunch of folks you ever met–but when it comes down to the wire we’ll claw tooth and nail for each other when it counts.

My mom is awesome. I’m going to write more on her later on. But just imagine someone with the l33t ninja skills of Sho Kosugi combined with mother grizzly bear instincts that would make Sarah Palin soil her pantsuit and one of the dryest and wryest senses of humor you ever came across and you have about half of how awesome my mom is.

My dad was awesome as well. But I’ve already written about him. All I can add is that I’m thankful to have turned out maybe a little like him in the ways that count.

But my stepdad is pretty cool, too. His mastery of the automotive arts kept me in cars all through my college years, and he did it with really very little complaint. Plus, even when he’s cantankerous he’s one of the good guys and makes my mom happy, for which I’m thankful.

I’m the oldest of three kids in my family. My brother is one of the coolest guys I know. Smooth, like Keith Stone. He’s always working on and building stuff that I would have no idea how to do and would fudge it up before I finished. Plus he’s a great dad to his kids and an all around good guy–definitely the man to have your back. Growing up and having adventures with him made me who I am today.

My sister is eight years younger than me–which sometimes made things a little tense as we grew up. To me she was a bratty kid and to her I was a stuck-up, know-it-all teenager. We grew up in different worlds. But she’s always marched to the beat of her own, damn drum (thank you very much) and for that I’ve grown to respect her immensely. Plus she’s had to deal with some the same health issues as I have, only to a greater degree, which takes a lot of guts.

Plus I got cousins, aunts, uncles, and all the rest that I don’t get to see often enough but am proud (on most days–ha!) to call family. And for that, I’m immensely thankful.