My Family Story

For the past seventeen years of my life minus a few months, I have lived in the United States. I grew up skiing and bicycling in Grand Rapids, Michigan, until my family decided to move all the way out west to Flagstaff, Arizona. Many eleven-year-olds might become stubborn and defensive in response to such a massive, life-changing move, but I remember embracing it because I was with my family, and I was ready to face any obstacle that unveiled itself to me because I knew that my late comedic father, my worrisome mother, and my troublesome brother would be right by my side. As we made the two-day drive from Michigan to Arizona in our SUV together, we watched the numbers on the odometer crawl up more and more until there were 2,000 more miles on the car than there were when we started, and we

Every family has their fair share of stories to tell with each generation. My grandparents told my sister and me some interesting stories and my parents passed them on to my sister and I. Through all the experiences that they have shared with us, it felt as if we were with them and shared that moment together. With all the stories that ‘exist’ it was inevitable that there were a few stories that intrigued us or stuck with us wherever we go.

Sunday stared off with a visit to my grandparents’ house for Easter. I had not seen my grandparents in a couple weeks, so it was great to finally spend time with them again. While at their house, I spent time reminiscing about the days spent at my grandmother’s house when I was younger. It felt good to remember playing in the mud with my cousins and exploring our space. I can make this happen again by ensuring to spend more time giving back to the special place that made me who I am today.

At that time it was the most logical decision that one could have made. If it were you, would you have done the same? To protect his family and to give them the opportunity of a lifetime was one thing that he, my father Yong X. Vang, would never regret doing. He is a man who for the sake of the Americans, fought in the Secret War which then led him through many hardships and guided him and his family to where they are today.

It was a beautiful morning and the sun was shining. By the time we got there, it was already ten thirty. We were going to start the painting and then we were going to go home and have sandwiches for lunch. I was really excited about my first whole day with Momma.

Everything was about to change, we wouldn’t order take-out on Sundays, it was a big deal, I was losing my best friend, the only father figure I have ever had so far. I watched him taking all of his stuff out of the apartment, I was getting more and more mad. Wasn’t our beautiful relationship enough to make him stay? I even blame myself I thought I had done something wrong, maybe wearing his clothes and leaving them all messy, I apologize and swear not to do it again, but it didn’t matter the decision was already made.

It was finally me time, time to just relax and to reflect on my life. To spend time with my family, my friend and quality time with me.

    I peaked in around the door for a few seconds before my brother pushed me away. I could hear my father mooning in pain as the medical team placed him on a gurney and rolled in out of the house and into the ambulance. Everyone was frantic as we piled into my brother’s old red truck to follow them to the hospital. I remember thinking “what if… what if he doesn’t come back with us.”

My family and I were off to visit our grandparents in Lituya Bay,Alaska.It was just me,Lilian, my brother,Joesph,mom and dad.I had a normal life and a loving family.Just that my brother and I didn’t get along with each other.As we got there it looked windy and cold and there was no sun.It stayed like that for three days.My grandparents house was huge.It had three floors.I got to have my own room.

For the first 9 years of my life I was the youngest of 3 siblings. At the age of 6 my parents separated and that is where some of my life struggles began. Both my mom and dad are extremely loving and nurturing people; however, they had a tendency to triangulate the three of us kids in regards to who gets who, when, and all those fun things that come with divorce. The schedule I was on for most of my childhood was Tuesdays and every other weekend with my dad and the rest with my mom. I grew resentful of this as I got older because I felt that it should be more even and that didn’t change until I was well into high school and made the decision to change the schedule for myself. Then when I was 9 years old my mom had a little baby girl. Long story short, my little sisters father is in her life now but wasn’t for the first year or so. This was hard for me at first because I didn’t fully understand the situation, but regardless of my understanding the love I had/have for my little sister was/is unconditional. Even though there is quite an age gap between my younger sister and us three older siblings, we are all still very close. Before my mom had my little sister she was a paraprofessional at our elementary school, and then after she had her she started doing daycare. My dad finished his degree in business and economics and he has sold insurance my whole life. While my mom always had struggles with money, my dad usually did not. Both of my parents taught me hard work ethics and I

The warm, summer air’s aroma was a mix of fresh grass, flowers, and dog.  Mom and I went inside to cook the pizzas while we were  waiting for my sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew, aunt, and uncle.

One Day my family and I was sitting around talking planning things we will do one day when it's time to do a family fun day. So she started saying if I decided to take yall somewhere where yall would like to go.so im guessing we was all thinking like mom we are young we don't know to many places. So we just started naming places as in six flags, Alabama Adventures, and the water park. So we all started yelling water park just because we all liked playing in water. So we got up the next day and she say everyone get up i'm taking you to the water park we was over excited. So we it was time for us to leave so we started calling friends that we would like to go with us. So we all got dress and started heading down to the water park. When we got there we didn't even give our parents time to give us our wristbands we just started running and getting on rides. I have to say that day we really enjoyed ourselves that day one good childhood memory.

I grew up in Peru in a Christian family, more specifically, an Evangelical one. At first, my family was Catholic however, in the year 2000 we converted to Evangelical. The mom of one of my friends in preschool invited my parents to her church’s anniversary and that is when everything changed for my family. Back then, I was a 6 year old child who did not have an understand of what was happening; all I can remember is my parents taking me and my sisters to the church every Sunday.

From this class I have learned that my family may not be as dysfunctional as I thought. There are many families out there with crazy combinations of who and what makes up their family. 1/3 of people who married have also been divorced before and people normally repartner within 3-5 years. The United States has one of the highest divorce rates, only Russia has a higher rate. My family is made up of my paternal and maternal biological families, my step father 's family and some of my step mother 's, along with my adoptive family. I have been adopted on my father 's side twice and some of their family still consider me family even though I don 't associate with either of my adoptive father 's anymore.

This is a story about me. MY family, MY home and the worst experience of MY life, but we can start with him. He grew up with five other siblings and a father that used a belt on them after one small mistake. My mother and him grew up in the same city on the same block, so they knew each other as children before they were married. I want to make it perfectly clear that he was not my father. My mother married him two years after she divorced my father. “D” came into my life when I was too young to know the difference between a good person and a bad one.