The "G" Family

I thought it's about time I share a little about my family. The "G" family is very close. Even though we are miles apart, we stay in close contact. We keep in touch daily, thanks to Cingular. :o)

I'm the oldest of three children. I'm eighteen months older than my sister and I was seven years older than my brother. We are blessed with awesome parents. They are very different, but together they brought balance to our family.

My dad, Bigote, which means mustache in Spanish was born in *Habana, Cuba (note about this later on). He has had a mustache for as long as I can remember. Hence his nickname. :o) He came to the United States in search of freedom and a better way of life. In my eyes, my dad has always been a hero. I've always looked up to him. Ever since I was little girls, I wanted to marry someone like him. My Knight is like my dad in many ways, but different at the same time. My dad is a gentle, loving, humorous, hard working, dedicated and a family man. Family is very important to him. While I was growing up, there were times that he held two jobs so that my mom would stay home and take care of us. He was old fashioned but not in an egotistical way. He loved my mom and it was evident. He was always happy and smiling. Which made us all happy too. He was the softy one.

My mom, Sabimbi, which is a name my brother made up, was born in Panama, Repiblica de Panama. Which is in Central America. My Abuela Caky, her mom, brought her to the United States when she was a teenager. Like my dad, she came here in search of freedom and a better way of life. She doesn't talk much about her past. What little I do know, I know it wasn't an easy life. I'll leave it at that. She is the most strongest, self assured, reliable, self reliant person I know. Well, next to my sister. :o) When it came to my sister and I, she was not big on praises, kisses or hugs, but she was big on showing us by her actions that she loved us. We knew without a shadow of a doubt that she loved us in her own way. There was nothing she wouldn't do for us. She was the one who dealt the discipline.

My sister, Boss Lady is an amazing woman. This nickname was given to her by my children. It's not meant as an insult. My sister likes the name too. :o) The real nickname she's always had is something else and since she still uses it, for privacy reasons, I'm not sharing it. There is so much I admire about her. She has a "can do" attitude. When she sets her mind on something, that's it, she goes for it until it's done or gotten. No one can talk her into doing something she doesn't want to do. She has so much in common with my Abuela Caky and my mom. They all have a servants heart. They give and give until they have nothing left. When I was younger, I the oldest, was jealous of her. She has always been friendly, a leader and smart. I was the opposite. I was the oldest, but I was her shadow. Growing up she suffered from asthma. Being that I was young, I didn't understand that. I thought it was her way of "getting out" of cleaning. Never mind that she would at times be hospitalized because of her asthma. It wasn't until I was older, that I realized how wrong I was. She is blessed with two children, Drama Queen and Papa.

Toots (my brother- the 82nd Airborne, Ranger in training) had won my mom's heart when he was born. There was never any jealousy between us. My brother was an answered prayer. My sister and I had always wanted a brother. In my eyes, he could do no wrong. He was the apple of every one's eyes. He grew up to be a handsome young man. He had charisma and charm. The girls loved him and the guys wanted to be his friend. He knew how to have fun and he enjoyed his short life. He died at 19.

Drama Queen is my niece and she'll be 13 in October. She is the oldest of Boss Lady's babies. I don't call her this, but for online journaling, this will be her name. I call her a shorter version of her name, but like my sister, for privacy reasons, she's Drama Queen. The reason I picked that name is because she loves to perform. Always has. I'm not just saying this, but she is a miniature of my sister WITH a lot of her dad mixed in there too. There is never a dull moment around her. She is a leader. I remember once when we were staying at a condo. She had all my children and my neighbors children acting like they were whales and dolphins in a pool. She was their trainer. She was not even 6 yrs old. Enough said! LOL!

Papa is my nephew and he just turned 11 in March. He is Boss Lady's second baby. He is a gentle giant. He's soft hearted with a little bit of a hot temper. Then again, he's Spanish blooded, what can one expect. LOL! He's tall for his age. Then again he has his mom and dad's genes. They are both tall. He's got a servant's heart, always willing to help out. He's the one that will get up and help bring in the packages from the car without even being asked.

I love it when our family gets together. There is never a dull moment. If you are wondering what my family reunions are like, watch, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. :o)

* note- In Cuba, Habana is spelled with a "b" not a "v". In the United States, they spell it with a "v" not a "b". As a child my parents taught me how to correctly spell Habana. Being that I was born and raised in the United States, hearing it spoken among fellow Americans, I had forgotten how to correctly spell it. I guess it's true when they say, "If you don't use it, you lose it." I need to get back to my Spanish roots.

Hasta luego...