Who's Who?

The cast of characters in my life:

My husband, JJ. We've been together since 1995. Love of my life. He makes me whole, and is literally the other half of me. When I think of him the best word I can use to describe him is Partner. He is my partner in life, as cheesy as it sounds. I enjoy every second I spend with him. When we got married I think it's fair to say most people thought we wouldn't stay married. He is 16 years older than me and had a lot of baggage. It hasn't always been rainbows and sunshine, but we've always stuck together. After losing our baby I remember thinking this will either make us or break us. It made us. Literally. Our relationship is a million times better than it was before Brenna was born. You can read about us here, here, here and here.

My son, who I usually call B., but his name is Brendan. I got pregnant for him when I was 19, well before I wanted children. He is also the best thing that ever happened to me. The light of my life. One of the smartest people I've ever met, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom. He is also one of the funniest people I know. You can read about him here, here, here and here.


My step-daughter who I usually call J. Her name is Jenna. Her mother passed away when she was nine years old. Even though it was a rocky road we are very close today. She's only nine years younger than me (my husband is an old man), so we're more like sisters.  Our relationship is complex: sometimes I feel like a mom when she needs advice; other times I feel like a friend when we gossip like teenagers. You can read more about her here and here.


My oldest grandson I usually call M. I was 28 when he was born and believe it or not I was excited about being a grandma! He calls me G.G. now, and I love it. My bond with him is stronger than I ever imagined it could be. You can read about him here and here.

My youngest grandson I usually call C. He was born in October of 2010. Initially I was concerned that I would have a hard time bonding with him, since he was the first baby to come into our family since I lost Brenna. Any fears I had vanished when he was born. I love him with my whole heart. You can read about him  here.

Also making an appearance are our many pets. We have four dogs (three shih tzus and one "farm dog"), a pot belly pig, and lots of chickens!