Family Ties, Part 1.

The men in my life

My brother Mike was home from Vancouver for a few days, and as you know if you have met him, he is awesome.  I got to thinking how lucky I am that I not only love, but I genuinely like all the members of my family (both blood and inlaw!).

As such, I am dedicating my next two posts to my family.

The Patriarch

My Dad.  How does one begin to describe him?  Lover of exotic meats and cheeses and foreign grocery stores.  My Mom says that they can't afford to retire because of his spice buying habit.  He is an amazing cook and never once complains about having to cater to a vegan and a vegetarian every Sunday night, even though he is a pure meat and potatoes man.

He is super smart (he has his PhD) but has no memory for a lot of things which is an endless source of teasing from our family.  Running jokes include having him identify his 4 children by name, and pronounce or spell Maier (which he can do now, thankfully!).

He loves to torture car salesmen, and gets up REALLY early every morning and sits in the dark like a creep drinking coffee.  He caught me sneaking in late more than once because of this!

He is a devil's advocate, which can be frustrating, but this is something I see in myself that I have inherited from him.  He is incredibly generous and giving, although he pretends to be cheap and blame it on his Scottish roots.

He is such a tender heart with his grandkids.  He plays the same games with them that I remember him playing with us (such as horsey ride, magic tricks-which I totally get now by the way!, tickle your ribs, do I need a shave, etc).  He STILL gets down on his hands and knees to play horsey with the kids.

Dad's a memory maker, and an amazing man.





Mike

Mike's claim to fame is that he was a hellian as a child, causing chaos throughout our home and community from the time he could toddle.  You would NEVER guess this as an adult.

Mike is probably the most generous soul you will ever meet.  He is constantly putting others before himself and always goes the extra mile to ensure that everyone is happy.

Mike is a great source of entertainment in our family as well because he can be a bit of a trainwreck at times.  Famous stories include him getting cut at a bar downtown and walking back to my parent's house (at least an hour away) so drunk that he was still bleeding when he got home.  Enough so that he left blood all over the siding of the house.

He constantly loses phones and debit cards and keys, and this usually involves alcohol related times.

Speaking of which, another great story about Mike is the last time we were in Palm Springs, he decided to mix himself a giant drink in an ice cream pail (that involved about 20 oz of spiced rum and 3 oz of Coke) and drink it...in the pool....with a giant spoon.

Classic Mike.

Mike is carrying on the family tradition of getting at least two University degrees, so he is still in Vancouver and we miss him a lot.  He is so devoted to his family and especially his nieces and nephews.   Goofy as he is, we love Mikey to pieces!



James

James grew up as Jamie and I have a hard time calling him anything but, although I do respect that he wants to be called James now.  James is the youngest of the 4 kids and he got pretty much all of the creativity in the family.

Jamie is INCREDIBLY talented.  I cannot highlight that enough!  He plays electric and accoustic guitar as well as bass.  He has been in numerous bands and has toured all over North America.  Watching him play is something amazing, and I wish I could do it more often.

He is also wickedly funny.  No one makes me laugh more than he does.  He just has a quick, dry wit and observationalist humor.  He also does some pretty funny voices.  To see how funny he is, follow him on twitter (@biodomerulez).

Jamie and I have always kind of been partners in crime.  There were a few years were he kind of took a step back from the family and we did likewise, but things are back on track.  He has introduced me to so many great movies and directors and even better Youtube clips (see here for a new fave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkdcYlOn5M)

  (Pictured right)
BIL

For privacy purposes,I am not going to uses my brother-in-law's name or picture, so I will call him BIL. Get it?  Ha ha.

BIL has been in my life for almost ten years now.  He is an east coast boy and is so much fun.  One of my fondest memories of him is sitting at the old Tank House, watching him with a pool cue do his impression of Axel Rose.  And may I say, it was bang on.

BIL is a great guy.  He is a great dad to his three kids and really highlights what is special and unique with each one of them.  He has a busy work schedule, but he is very hands on.  He is giving and generous and has bailed me out of more than a few jams since I have known him!

Even before he and my sister got married, I considered BIL to be my brother in law, but now I just consider him my brother.  He is smart, funny and caring and an all around amazing guy!

Logan

Also known as Ogie, Ogie man, Ogre, and Ogie Monster.  My sister's youngest is the most handsome little boy you will ever meet.  He is sweet, with a little touch of, well, boy!  He loves all things Dino and Toy Story, plays imagination games that I sometimes don't understand, is really starting to talk a lot.  He is stubborn as a stone, but a really sweet and fun little boy.  He adores his cousin "Baby Abby" and loves his sisters (well, sometimes he loves to rough up his sisters, but what can you do?).  Look at this handsome baby!



Stan

Simply put, Stan scared the bejeezus out of me when I first met him.  My father in law is a very LOUD person and that takes some getting use to!

Now that I have had 7 years to get to know him, I can see past that booming voice to the soft side of him.  Stan is such a smitten Grandpa.  He went from "it's going to be a boy" to "where is my little girl?"  He swore he would never call Abby by her full name Abrielle, and now I think he is the one that uses it the most.  He complained that Terri (my mother in law) would be spending all of their money spoiling the baby, yet he buys her things like a $40 sleeper from a golf pro shop.  To watch Stan with Abby is enough to bring tears to my eyes almost every time.  That is true love you see!

Stan is so talented.  He is an incredible house painter and has done so many cool designs in his house.  He is very meticulous and you know if he is involved in any sort of job, it is going to be done right. 

Stan is also a creature of habit.  You know that if it is nice out and he isn't golfing or putzing in the back yard, he can be found in the garage ready to have a beer with whoever stops by.  He cheers for the Bears, and the Islanders (it is good that they have one fan at least) and is unwaivering in his team allegiance.  He goes to the Duke pretty much every Thursday, and before an early bed every night he has peanut butter sandwiches. 

Stan is always up for a game of pool or darts in his basement, and always dependable.  He is such a great guy.



Bo

Of course I had to mention my poochies!  They are members of the family too!

Bo, christened Bowen (after Bowen Island Lager) also goes by Bozo, Bobo, Bonehead, Boceifus, etc.  He is huge and a huge baby.  He is a crier and whiner, and loves to be sitting on someone's lap.  Unfortunately since he is about 130 lbs, that doesn't happen!

He loves fetch and refuses to quit, so much like the movie Spanglish, no one is allowed to throw a ball for him.  He has a licking problem so severe we think he needs an Intervention with Candy Finnegan.

He is almost 7 years old and he is the sweetest thing ever.  As much as he drives me crazy, I love him to bits!

  Look at that handsome knucklehead!

Chevy

Chevy is named after the vehicle brand, and also goes by Chev, Chev-chev, Chevron, and His Royal Highness Princess Chevina (as bestowed upon him by my brother James).  Chevy is a rescue from a dump on a reservation, and now that he is 3.5 years old, the "i'm so damaged" act is getting a little old!  Chevy is a the biggest scaredy cat, yet doesn't hesitate to bark at anything and everything that comes his way.  He takes things from Bo, not because he wants them, but just so Bo can't have it.  He is a bit of a dick.

That being said, he is a really sweet dog, and he is my puppy.  He is so sweet around people that he knows and especially loves Abby, tail grabbing and all.
 Being bad as always



Tyler

No, I didn't forget about my husband, I was just saving the best for last!  I figured that this might be the longest entry.

My husband...where do I even begin?  There are so many great qualities that make him who he is.

First off, Ty is pretty shy.  He doesn't like being the one to ask a question in an airport or order a pizza on the phone.  He has definitely lost a lot of this shyness since we first met, but some definitely still remains.

He is a great friend.  A lot of the people he knows are friends from childhood, both girls and boys.  I would say 90% of my girl friends hug him every time they see him.  He is the first person there to help someone move, tow them out of a jam, or to help them drink their beer and watch hockey.   He is really loyal and values his friendships.  Although we were strangers when we first started dating, he quickly became my best friend.

He is an amazing communicator.  Ty and I very rarely fight, and if we are being snippy at each other, he is generally the first to acknowledge it and try to make amends.  He is a firm believer in not going to bed angry, and is a fantastic listener.  The line from the song Bleed Red by Rodney Dunn makes me think of him, when it goes "if we're both fighting, then we're both losing".  So true.

He is dedicated.  This applies to so many areas in his life.  He is very devoted to his family, and although he picks on her constantly, he is very protective of Amanda, his younger sister.  He is a devoted Canucks fan and gets really cranky if people beak them.  He loves golf and spends the time he is not on the links complaining that he should be on the links. He is an amazing defensemen, and I love watching him play hockey.

He is easy going.  Ty lets most things roll off of his back like water.  There were a few days where I felt like I was being snippy at him, and I acknowledged it.  To this he replied "yeah, you were, but that's ok.  I understand".  He didn't use it against me or turn it around on me and start a fight, he just chose to let it go.  He does this time and time again.  Ty genuinely wants to make people happy and there is a very rare occassion where he insists he has to get his way.

He is a fantastic father.  I always knew that Ty would be a great dad, because he was so good with my sister's kids.  What I didn't know was how great of Dad he would be.  From the very second Abby was in his arms, he was not only a father, but a confident and devoted Dad.  He changes diapers, he sings silly songs, he dresses her up in Canuck's jerseys, he plays toys.  Abby is so lucky to have a man like him in her life.  It is a real juxtaposition to see such a big man wrapped around the finger of such a teeny little girl, but it melts my heart over and over every time.

He is an incredible husband.  I can't put into words how lucky I am.  Tyler sacrificed a lot during our marriage so that he could support me through 2 degrees.  He didn't ever once tell me not to go for my second degree, even though he knew it would mean another 4 years of financial hardship.  He knows me better than I know myself and claims to be a great reader of my body language...which is true.  He has held me and stroked my hair through many rough times, and tells me he loves me countless times a day.  He has been there with me through the very worst and the very best and I fall more and more in love with him every day.

Here is us together at 21 and today