Alexa & Judith's Epic Summer Read-along || Meet the Family

Today kicks off the second part of our Morgan Matson celebration, where we focus on her emotionally gripping sophomore novel Second Chance Summer. I read this in one sitting, and sobbed like a baby starting about halfway through. It was just so beautifully written, enchanting and heartbreaking and real. Inspired by Taylor's relationship with her family, we've decided to write about ours. So, after you learn a little about my family, go on over to Paperiot and read Judith's post!

This is my family. 

I'm sure, if you've been following the blog for a while, that you'll recall having seen them in a couple of posts before. (Like my 2013 retrospective. And my ghosts of Christmases past post. And my Thanksgiving post. And my posts on my sisters and books. And this birthday post for my mom. Mel is often on my blog, whether because we do fun things together or because she's reviewing books.) 

Anyway, I thought it'd be nice to just formally (well, as formal as one can get on a blog) introduce you to each member of the clan:

First, we have my beautiful, strong-willed little sister Mel. She's living in New York with me now. We're very different from one another in a few ways - She likes going out, while I prefer staying in, she's adventurous while I prefer being comfortable, she likes math and I like English. But we do share a mutual love of food and books and travel and writing. Mel's definitely a tough cookie, but she's also got a gooey chocolate heart. 

Next to her is my littlest sister Rachel, who I affectionately call Boo. She's still in college in the Philippines, and is graduating in two years (so soon!). Rachel is easygoing with her affections, and is very demonstrative about it. She's also tall and graceful, which probably is a result from her many years as a dancer. She has a funny sense of humor, and a specific way of viewing the world. I love how sweet she is, and how loyal she can be to the people she loves.

Then, there's my lovely mom, who I regard as one of the most amazing women in the world. In my heart, she's a hero for everything she has done and continues to do for our family! My mom was the disciplinarian, but I always understood (even when I "rebelled") that she was just trying to guide us properly. She's always a source of advice, encouragement, and support. I love that, as I've gotten older, our relationship has also shifted into friendship. I always feel very loved, thanks to mom!

And finally, there's my dad, who is one of the best men you will ever meet. Everyone says I look a lot like him, and I think that's awesome! My dad is outgoing, the type of guy who loves to start a conversation. He can also be really funny and silly, and loves watching movies and finding good music to listen to. He's very protective of his girls, since he has 4 of us to look out for! But the best thing about my dad is that he's open-minded and very understanding.

Of course, I can't write about family without talking about the newest member of our little circle: my husband, Macky. Macky and I have been together for 8.8 years now, and are going to be celebrating our first wedding anniversary on September 8! It's lovely to be married to my best friend, the person who makes me laugh, who'll hold me when I cry, who lets me rant about anything and everything, who is honest and sweet and funny and talented and warm and kind and everything I could have ever dreamed of having in a husband. I honestly don't feel like I'm exaggerating when I talk about how it feels like I get to have my fairytale come to life when it comes to him.

There you have it, a little bit of insider info on each member of my family! I could have continued on to tell you about my in-laws and my extended family, but I'm pretty damn sure that would make my post five times as long (since I know most of them well). Hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into what each of them is like!