Toledo with the Browns

My mom’s side of the family is a very unique breed of characters.  At first glance you might see that my immediate family are the only ones who indulge in alcohol while the cousins, aunts, and uncles do not.  Next, you might notice that my immediate family are the only ones who use vulgar language just to get our points across while our cousins, aunts, and uncles do not.  However, do not let this uptight facade fool you.  These people are some of the funniest and crudest people you will ever meet.  Mainly because 90% of our conversations revolve around bodily functions and racist/homophobic jokes.  HOWEVER, the Brown’s are no haters.  They seriously are some of the greatest people you will meet :)  Christmas with the Brown’s means so much to me especially after we were informed of my Bompa’s (grandfather’s) lung cancer.  He is absolutely incredible.  I have never heard him raise his voice a day in my life and is such a happy little bugger.  I really appreciate the time I spend with him and the whole family.  Christmas with the Browns was the same as every other year.  Grandma started by saying that we couldn’t get a present until we told a joke.  That soon came to an end when someone said a joke she didn’t approve of.  Gift paper would get balled up and thrown at blinding speeds at the faces of cousins through out the house and soon that too would come to a close after Adam took it juuuuust a bit too far.  And of course we ate as much as possible and Gram made her famous christmas cookies that were gone before dinner was over.  After the party came to a close my family went back over to my grandparents’ house and spent the night scattered through the familiar bilevel on Valley Stream BLVD.  The next day I accompanied my dad and Bompa to the donut shop.  Let me preface this with the explanation of the donut shop gang:  My Bompa has been going to the same donut shop with the same group of old guys for the past 20 years where they gather round the bar with a cup of coffee and a donut and discuss the world’s problems.  These guys are freaking hysterical.  They go in and are automatically greeted with a cup of coffee the exact way they have ordered it for 20 years and the same donut they have ordered for the same amount of time.  They talk about of shit, tell a bunch of jokes, look out for one another, and above all else...it’s just a place to go to either get away from their nagging wives for an hour or hang out with their friends for an hour because their nagging wives have passed away.  They take great care of my Bompa and I love them all like my own :)  I send them post cards and they return the favor.  Great little relationship!!  My time in Toledo came to a close and I said my sad goodbyes that have become all too common in the recent future and I left the town in the dust.  Great visit, I even got to see my Aunt Theresa who I just love to death.  My dad has the greatest 4 sisters in the world and a hilarious little brother that I just love to pieces.  Unfortunately I didn’t get to see all of them while I was home, but having Aunt theresa meet me out at the donut shack was a beautiful surprise.  Are you all sick of hearing about how amazing my family is yet??  Jealous??  I can’t help it.  I am just soo blessed to have the greatest family and so thankful to have people in my life that mean so much to me :)