We are Who We Are

We finished (survived) Christmas with my family. It was actually really fun. We've been hanging around, playing games and watching lots of movies. We go home at night with the kids and come back when we please, which has worked out pretty darn well this time around. It's nice to be able to get away. Because I love them, but sometimes... the bickering gets a little crazy.
There's this underlying amount of stress in my family right now. My dad's going to have heart surgery next week and it's kind of a big deal. So I think that everyone's a little bothered by that. And, we never all get along really great, because we're siblings and that's how it goes.
This year my brother and sister had spouses to help keep them in line, which was great. But sometimes I wonder what those new people think of our family. It's different for Daniel, because he's basically been around forever. My sister was like seven when he first met me, so he's watched them all grow up. And he was a teenager himself when he started hanging around.
These new in-laws haven't been around us very much. And I wonder if they're a little uneasy with all of the bickering and craziness that comes with all of us being together. I know they have families that have their own things. But the thing about my family is you know what's going on with relationships and feelings. You almost always do. Because we say what we feel. We show what we're thinking. Most of the time. We just are who we are with each other. And a lot of times that ends up being something everyone gets to see. I guess that's what makes a family what it is.
So hopefully no one got scared away this year. i for one enjoyed all of us being together and playing games and eating. And I can't wait until next time.