Family - the wider the better!

Family is something that we all have, even if we haven't. Biologically we are the creations of a man and a woman coming together, even if its in a laboratory. Families are also the people who raise us, who love us and teach us; not all families have to be related!

We prefer the widest possible definition of family, and I am so happy to share with you a glimpse into my five family units, and beyond!

_{We like to smile in our family}

This post is an entry into @derangedvisions's family themed mega blowout photo contest. There is still a lot of time and a lot of winners, so I would recommend checking out the 4 simple rules and making an entry!

Noticed that I highlighted checking out the rules, be sure to do that, there are four of them.

Okay, let's get started with a classic family portrait.

_{One of those people is @snook, I assure you}

When I was younger, sometimes people would have a hard time understanding when I told them that I have four parents. I am an only child with four parents, and yes, they all came to the parent-teacher conferences. Its not that hard to fathom, my parents didn't marry, then they did.

See having many families, some big and some small, has taught me one thing, family is about spending time and the memories you share.

_{Who would you take into the woods with you?}

It is the time we spend, more than the blood we have, that defines our relationships. Being a human is all about relationships, and family is the center of it all. They call it the nuclear family for a reason, even though I had more of an electron-cloud model.

_{Families use tools together}

When the important and not so important moments in our life go by, it is family that comes by to eat the ice cream cake and shout, 'Yippee!'. Any mundane event can be used as a perfectly legitimate excuse to get together. Graduated? Have a party! Memorial day? Let's barbecue! Back in town? I'll bring potato salad!

_{Laugh it up, but that new baby just turned two and we are still using it as an excuse ;p}

As an only child, cousins were basically my siblings. The great thing about cousins is that you can send them home, except for those awkward phases when you move in together. After all the memories, I love my cousins like, well....family!

Now I can encourage their children to call me Uncle Alex!

Cousins having children, we are even close with some of my parents cousins! These second and third cousins are, after all, cousins too, and we love spending time with them.

Within a nuclear family there can be a difference of interests, but when you get this wide you can often find many shared interests. Below we found a family of birders, our cousins of course!

_{Nature lovers the lot of them!}

When I got married, I inherited another family, @ecoinstante's family. When some of my family met some of their family, it was at our wedding! After, we went on some local adventures around our small town, getting to know each other.

When families come together, they spend time together.

_{Mine Family! You might have to be german to get that joke ;p Or know that we were visitng a mine...}

It often is true that the people closest to you become your family. Even through everything, the good and the bad, they are still there to hang out with, cook and/or eat food, share a word or a memory, or even to help increase your species count on Global Big Day.

_{There's so many birds, we need more hands!}

Eating food is something that people do, and throughout history they have done it as a family. Eating in or eating out, the important aspect of a family meal is being together. Often the best stories, silliest faces and life lessons are shared around a meal, and though perhaps less memorable, meals form a sense of togetherness, of community.

_Yum!

Contrasting with meals, some trips or events form bright spots in our memories, easily identifiable moments in time where we went to such a place and/or did such a thing. Here too, family is important, or at least available!

_{A fantastic and fun trip to the Zoo! Article Incoming ;-p}

Seeing family is often for us an excuse to do something fun, something out of the ordinary. Each family member is at a different place in their lives, and visiting their places gives us perspective and balance, and usually at least one smile!

_{I drew the minion!}

Do you need any special items to visit family? Nothing in particular, but we have found there are a few items that make any visit even more special. One of those items is family sized ice cream pails.

_{Self-serve curbside service}

Special equipment, though not necessary either, can also help make a special memory. From, 'Lend me a hand', to 'Lend me a hammer', my family often takes it to the next level, as in, 'Lend me that front-end loader!'

Time spent with family is quite like mulch around plants and trees; these are the memories that keep our hearts warm and moist in the cold and dry times. <3

_{Thanks for the memories! And the truck full of woodchips!}

Where ever I am and whatever I am doing or feeling, I find it helpful to always remember those that have come before me. No matter your situation, You are loved by at least God above, and along with generations of humans who have made it possible for you to exist right now, at this very moment.

_{What a blessing!}

Thanks for reading, and give a big thanks to @derangedvisions and @curie for hosting this wonderful contest. I got mine out early enough, hopefully this will inspire at least some of you to take the time to reflect on family.

Love and Light to All, Always!