We're a bunch of Tooles: Who's who and how are they related

As I was starting to write a new post I realized that sometimes I can be quite confusing when talking about my family members because let's face it...my family dynamics are ODD...~~my family members?~~ No the dynamics!! hehe!

While Matthew's family is traditional, mine is not.

Matthew's family

Both of Matthew's parents, Kevin & Dawn, have been married for 35 years in March! (Early Congrats!) He has one brother, Mark. And he has two sets of grandparents, Art & Anita and Lauren & Margaret Toole (The Tooles are no longer with us). So when mentioning one of his family members it's easy to know who I am referencing.

Mark, Art, Anita, & Matthew

Mark, Kevin, Matthew, and Dawn

My Family

My parents, Diana and Mark, married and had my brother, Josh, and me. After 5 years of marriage they divorced. My mom re-married when I was a year and half to my step-dad, David. While growing up we called our dads "Daddy Mark" and "Daddy David"; now I simply call them both dad. I try to be respectful around each of them by calling the other dad by their name. The truth is they are both important to me and they are both my dads. I've learned that I am a very lucky person to have two loving and caring men in my life that call me their daughter. When I was twelve my dad...see I'm already confusing you...for the sake of this blog and to keep you in sound mind I will revert back to my childhood and they will from here out be called Daddy Mark and Daddy David. So back to what I was saying...when I was twelve Daddy Mark married my step-mom, Sherry. Sherry and I did not have the best relationship when I was a teen this is because I was an evil red-headed stepchild and probably should have been beaten like one...Oh!! does that saying remind me of my childhood?! Now Sherry and I are very close and I can't imagine my life without her. If you are thinking...okay this isn't too confusing and has become quite the norm in today's society...I'm not done!

Most of you reading this know that we lost my mom last year to cancer. While we all at times still mourn the loss of my mom we know what an amazing, uplifting, Godly woman she was. She expressed to several individuals, including myself, how she wanted Daddy David to find someone who would love him for who he was, embrace his love for God, and love God herself. Well I am proud to say my family dynamics have gotten more confusing and our family has grown. ~~Daddy David found~~ God found Daddy David an amazing woman who does all of those things and so much more, Crissy and Daddy David got married on September 15th. Crissy has the most wonderful girls, Mara & Makayla. So what does that make Crissy, Mara, and Makayla? They aren't step, half, twice removed--whatever that means! I am calling the girls my step sisters and Crissy my step-mom if we need to get technical, but EVERYONE IS FAMILY and that's all that matters!! And I truly, TRULY believe if my mom could have picked anyone for Daddy David to spend the rest of his life with it would be Crissy!

And then there are my beautiful grandmothers that I am so blessed to still have. My Grandma Elliott (Daddy Mark's mother), my Grams ( my mother's mother) and my Great Grandmother (my Grams' mother...That's right!! --> she's 101!). We have lost my grandfathers.

Now that you know who is who and how they're related...on to more posting!