My Family

Behind every talented, intelligent, and somewhat insane person there's a family that loves her for who she is. My family has always stood by me, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of them (like I'd even want to!). I don't know what I'd do without them.

Mom and Dad married when they were eighteen. They were a really cute couple when they started dating in their junior year of high school. Of course, they started out as friends, and now they're the best of friends. Mom had me at twenty-three; she still can't believe I'm seventeen now. Neither one of my parents look old enough to have me.

Mom's really pretty. She's short, like me, and has blond hair, also like me. But her hair's way shorter than mine. I like it that way. She loves being a stay-at-home mom, but right now she's working at a stupid job that nobody likes. I prefer her being home; it's nice knowing she'll always be there if I need her.

She has this "I don't care what you think about me" air about her. She's also the type that doesn't take crap from people. I've never seen anyone walk all over her. I think she's really strong, and she doesn't keep her opinion to herself unless it does way more harm than good. She defends her family and friends, and I admire her for that. Sometimes, I wish I was more like her. She told me that she used to be like me, so maybe I'll change, too.

She cares about her family, and she takes good care of us. She's the best cleaner I've ever seen, and I'm being taught in the art of Clean-Fu. If you have any questions about how to live on your own, or parent, or almost anything about life, Mom's a good person to go to. I know when I move out of the house for college, I'll probably call her every day with twenty questions.

Dad has brown hair, usually messed up, and blue eyes that I swear change color depending on what mood he's in. If he's happy, they're bright blue and kind of twinkle (though I'm not sure how he'd feel about me writing he has twinkling blue eyes). If he's mad, the most creative description I can think of is the ocean during a storm---dark, dangerous, intense. I prefer the twinkles.

My dad's a hard worker. Right now, he works for Big D, the construction company. He's in an office right now, but he used to be outside all the time building homes. I think he's one of the fastest framers. He's been building since...well, since he was younger. I can't remember the exact age. It's been a long time, and Dad's a professional now. He's great at working with his hands. Dad's actually the reason I got 100% on my physics project (build a machine with ten simple machines to light a match to light a candle. Ugh!). I'm so grateful he's handy. He's the Mr. Fix-It at home, along with Braden.

On top of being a handyman, Dad's a quality chef at home. Living with Mom and Dad has made me spoiled when it comes to food. I have yet to go to a restaurant that had better meals than my parents' cooking. I don't like restaurants as much as home. Dad also has a love of four wheeling in his early model bronco---an activity we haven't really had the chance to enjoy since moving from St. George---and bouldering. He's fun to hang around and usually has one or two jokes to crack us up. I can't keep a frown on my face when my dad's trying to cheer me up.

Braden Wade's about fourteen, and he behaves like a normal little brother. He's a pest, a goof ball, and really, really protective of me. Between my dad and my two little brothers, I doubt I can ever bring a boy home. I'm just kidding. But I'm serious. Anyway, he's got my dad's brown hair and crystal blue eyes. Naturally, being my father's son, he's also a lady's man. It's the Male Widdison Curse. Girls fall under their spell; the looks, the charm, the smooth way of flirting...yeah, the ladies don't have a chance.

He's good at working with his hands, like Pops. I say he's street smart, whereas I'm book smart. I could never take something apart and put it back together again like Braden could. Braden can't read a book like I can. Together, we're a genius.

Like a normal teenage boy, Braden enjoys playing video games, avoiding homework, and pretending he knows everything. He's amazing at the guitar; he's taught himself how to play several songs just by looking up the tabs online. He's pretty good in the kitchen. I love when he makes smoothies. I don't have to do it myself for one thing, and they taste good for another. He's a smart kid. He's a natural born leader, and I can tell he cares about others. Even when he's bugging Logan because he's bored.

Logan James is nine years old. He's got dirty blond hair, darker than mine. He's super skinny like I was when I was his age. I don't think he loves reading as much as I do, but he's got plenty of imagination. He makes up stories in his head and acts them out. He's funny, and I love listening to him tell me about things that aren't real, but he treats them like they are. He's a member of a secret pack of wolf-men who are trying to rid the world of the vampire menace. Shh. You didn't hear that from me.

The kid's brilliant. He just won the spelling bee in his class, and will be moving on to face the rest of the school on Wednesday. Guess what word earned him a spot in the school's spelling bee? Pterodactyl. I didn't even know how to spell pterodactyl until he told me he'd won. Nothing like making your seventeen year old sister feel bright, Logan.

While Braden is Dad's clone, I think Logan is Mom's. He has her temper. Whenever Braden picks on him, they end up getting in a fist fight. Logan doesn't let people push him around. And he defends his friends and family. You definitely don't want to get on his bad side. But he's sweet. He also has the Male Widdison Curse. Girls chase him all over the playground at school.

I love my family. We have our ups and downs, and we're all a little weird at times. Okay...we're a lot weird. But I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. Even chocolate. And that's really saying something. :)