Family

The word Family can be defined in many different ways. For example, Google the word 'family definition' on Google, and you will get the following definitions:

1. any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins

2. parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not

3. a group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals and, frequently, live together

4. a group of related things or people

However, in my life I have defined family as many different groups of people that have helped me through some of the happiest, toughest, and emotional times of my life. Below, let me introduce my families to you, and let you see who I really am.



This is me (the one not taught to smile by my parents apparently!) with my brother Jonathan and my sister Jackie. I am the youngest of the three, and love my siblings very much. Growing up we were the only children in our family, and we were each other's best friends. We spent our carefree summers building tree forts, swimming in the pool, playing hide and seek in the cow fields, and making kick the can ice cream. With me in Maine, my sister in Boston, and my brother in our home town in CT, we aren't all together except at holidays, with one-on-one trips in between. Forever they are my family.



This group of girls was my High School cross country team, where 'team' was not the proper word, because we were a big family. Many days we called our coach 'dad' and we loved each other and the days spent training exploring our lives of love, school, excitement, and sorrow. Together we ran, and to this day, we all meet up every fall to cheer on the younger NMHS XC team at the state meet. These girls were a HUGE part of my high school experience, introducing me to running, and always pushing me to be the best I could in every aspect and taught me to never settle for less then the best.


This is my College XC team, my senior year. This day was the NCAA Division II Championship and my last race ever as a Mountie. Injured, and forced to run barefoot, my team helped carry me through the race rather then me carrying them. This team had so many ups and downs, but together we did everything from training, traveling across the country in a bus, studied to all hours of the night to get matching 4.0 semesters, celebrate engagements and marriages, comfort each other through break ups, and carry each other through premature death of friends. This network of people were my family for the best four years of my life.


This talented group of people is only a fraction of the phenomenal staff at Green Mountain Running Camp in VT. I have gone to this camp as a camper, counselor, and now coach for 10 years, and I can not express how these people have influenced and inspired me to be who I am today. Some of them former and current Olympians, other's college athletes, and coaches that when together, are the largest family of them all. Sprinkled across the country, we unite each summer for three weeks and run our hearts out and reconnect for a friendship that lasts through out the rest of the year through emails, im's, and facebook messages.


This large group is my host family from Australia. These remarkable people took me in never meeting me, or knowing anything about me, and treated me instantly as a member of their family. This picture shows our unification in waking up at 4 am on Anzac day and going to the Great-grandfathers graves that fought in the war. I traveled through out Australia with this family, camped under the stars, and participated in a traditional ball while I was there. These incredible people will always be my family, even if they are 12,000 miles away!


Finally after 15 years of being the only grandchildren, my mom's younger sisters finally got busy!!! This picture is down at our family the NJ shore for our summer reunion, which is always a blast! The kids range in ages of 4-9, and they are little balls of energies! My sister and brother love them to bits, and are making sure they are taught all of the tricks, including wet willies. It is quite humorous to see them go up to their parents sleeping in their beach chairs and give it a whirl. My aunts and uncles love us to pieces for teaching them such street worthy skills :) Now do I dare to say it is up to my siblings and I to bring in the new batch....



One of the most important events in all families- a wedding. This is me last summer with my mom and my dad walking down the aisle. This even joined together members from all of my families mentioned above, and also all of those in Matthew's, which are now new additions to my family. June 21st, 2008 was a day of celebration with all of my different families, and one of the happiest days of my life.




This is my WONDERFUL husband and I on our honeymoon at Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica. Matt and I have a long history, meeting at a national XC meet out in Reno, NV in high school, dating, then breaking up, and reuniting my Junior year of college. Together we have weathered long distance, moving states, re-establishing our lives, getting into graduate and doctorate schools, and most recently, cancer. He is my best friend and I can not picture myself with anyone else but him. We enjoy hiking, kayaking, running, listening to music, dancing while doing the dishes, and playing with adorable puppy, Holly Marie.
We are waiting a few years to go the children route, and are currently tending to the house we bought this January.




The latest member of the family, but certainly not the last is Matthew and my dog, Holly Marie. We rescued Holly from Arkansas, where she and her brothers and sisters were left on the side of the highway in a box. Although she is capable of quite mischief, she is the love of our lives, and just recently celebrated her 1st birthday. She is a black Lab/mix, and we are predicting beagle since she topped out at 40 lbs, and loves to whine. She enjoys walks, fetching sticks, and sleeping in our bed at night.




This journey is not over, just done for the time being. My family comes from all different bloodlines, all different shapes, and in some cases, has four legs! My family is the most important part of my life, and without them, I doubt I would be here typing this blog note to all of you. I hope all of you are blessed with a family, no matter what it looks like. So to reflect on the definitions I started with, I think I need an option 5 that reads 'all of the above'.