I would like first of all to thank all of you for being patient with me this past week as we spent time with family and celebrated the life of a very beautiful woman! Over the course of the past two weeks, I’ve seen, heard, and experienced a lot of things and been reminded of some things that are incredibly important to me and in some ways define me.

In the past two weeks, I’ve been lucky enough to spend a great deal of time with Ryan’s family. As a Pezzelle, I was raised to believe that family comes first. You do whatever you can to take care of and support your family – in the good times and bad. Friends come and go, but family – that’s forever. You don’t choose them, they are appointed to you by birth. It’s your responsibility to take care of them, spend time with them, and love them, whether it’s easy or not. And believe me – I understand it’s not always easy!

When I married Ryan, I didn’t just suck him into my family – I became a part of his as well. So those beliefs of Family First apply not only to my family, but his as well. Anything I can do to help – I’m there. We’re family – it’s what we do. And having a job that provides me the flexibility to do what I can to help and spend time with my family is incredibly valuable to me!

I’m blessed to have gained such a strong group of loving, generous, kind, and fun people who have pulled me in and claimed me as one of their own. It was wonderful to spend time with this group of people who share my belief of family first and even more wonderful that they are my family. I saw a husband taking exceptional, loving care of his wife. (I only hope I can be this strong and display at least half the love Grandpa George showered his wife with!) I watched Ryan’s aunts dedicate their time and energy to taking care of their mother. (I will forever hope that I can be this amazing of a daughter to my mother!) I witnessed family coming from all over the country to spend time with family and celebrate Ruby’s life. So much love and support was displayed this past week – it was truly wonderful to behold!

I was also touched by how many members of my blood family came to the visitation on Wednesday and supported Ryan and his family in prayer. There have been a lot of ups and a LOT of downs recently, but it is my goal to always try and focus on the positive in every situation. And these past couple weeks have reminded me how very important the support and love of family is to me and what a huge role it plays in my family – both my Pezzelle side and Gagnon side.

Well I hope today’s blog post finds you well and that you are enjoying this wonderful Monday with those you hold dear! See you Wednesday!

Contact Me | Visit My Website | Join the Facebook Fan Page | Follow Me on Twitter