Family Dinner

Sunday's are a very special time for me. About 9 months ago, my adopted parents (Tina and Dave) said "hey, we're making spaghetti Sunday night, you should see if Derek, Rita and Denise want to come!" With a little planning, we were all able to get together for dinner at their house that Sunday night. That night, family dinner was born.

Each Sunday around 5pm, we start pouring into Tina and Dave's house. We bring our spouses, our children and our weekly stories. You can smell the food cooking usually before you even get to the door. The second we walk in, there's an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness. The kind of love my brother, sister and I have always longed for. We laugh, tell jokes, vent, cut coupons, take a walk and we've recently added an evening session of bowling on the Wii. It's hours of happiness.

Every Sunday around 7:30 you can find a trail of us walking downtown. It's a nice way to let some of that food settle in. We always end up at the railroad station where we listen for trains, play on the hill and let our hearts pour out. There's something about that train station that lets you know it's all ok. Maybe it's not the station, maybe it's just the amazing people standing around it.

Family dinner means so much in so many ways. To Tina and Dave it's a way to extend their love and family. They are the most giving people you'll ever meet. To Derek, Rita and Erika it's a place to feel comfortable and loved. To Denise and David, it's a place of acceptance a place to get good ole fashion home cooked meals. To AJ it's togetherness. To Kandon, it's a way to have all of us in the same room at the same time. To me, it's love and appreciation, my definition of family.

To all of us, it's the most important time of the week. A time to celebrate our love and be who we are. I am thankful for my family - my best friends. Thank you all for making Sunday's my most cherished time.