Part 13 - Time to Meet - Part DEUX!

**WARNING!!** This is an adult Blog with real life shit. I won't apologize for the language or the jokes. If I didn't have a sense of humor about this, I'd probably go insane. If you get offended easily, This might not be the blog for you....you've been warned!****

If you are just joining in... WTF are you doing? This is part 13 guys...

What kind of Neanderthal starts listening to a story half way through?

Do you start also start movies half way through? Damn Caveman.

To like the 15 people who keep reading my blogs (thanks mom!) - Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It's personal and very emotional for me... but it's so damn crazy that nobody would believe me and it's too much not to share with the world.

SO.. now you've seen it. I met my little sister and my little brother. We met for some Louisiana cuisine and then off to bourbon street we go!

Luckily, I'm not much of a drinker - that's a story for another day. Also, Alcohol tastes like shit to me. So if I'm drinking something it's gotta be girly and fruity. Make your jokes boys. I go pinkie up!

It's actually a pretty funny story. When my wife and I go out for food and drinks. I usually drink something fruity with an umbrella... and she drinks "Old Fashioned's".

100% of the time - when the server delivers our drinks, they give her the fruity and me the whisky.

Assuming bastards! Don't judge my umbrella.

Now for those of you asking "WTF is an old fashioned"?

It's like straight bourbon. Tastes like rubbing alcohol. And they throw in an orange peel.

It's kind of shit your dad used to give you when you were a kid and he would say "Now that will put some hair on your chest".

(Well... assuming you knew your dad and he wasn't away slaying poon in the military like mine was :) )

Also, for the record - it did not put any hair on my wife's chest.

She didn't make me type this (wink, wink), but she would probably prefer that I clarified that point. Pretty much hairless.

kinda.

The plan for the next day was a pretty simple one.

JUST simply meet a whole new family that I've never met before. No biggie.

You ask me "Did you sleep Mark"? - Hell no.

For those of you that know me personally.

You know my energy level is always on Mach-6. This was light speed. Too much for my brain to handle. Didn't sleep for shit. Story of my life.

The plan was to meet my sisters, my grandma, and my dad later tonight for dinner. My other sister is flying in from Florida so she could be there as well. She didn't want to miss out on everyone being there to meet. It's gonna be a big day.

Can you imagine? I'm 42 years old and I'm meeting my dad and my sisters for the first time in my life?

It's not even real.

Sisters and dads are people you grow up with your whole life.

They are people you know and love.

Meeting them for the first time is surreal. My mind still has a hard time grasping the concept. You can say the words "Dad" or "Sisters" but they are still strangers and my mind is having a hard time deciphering which is which.

It's oddly confusing.

We started out with some breakfast with the same group the night before. We found some sort of brunch/breakfast place and hung out there and chatted for a bit.

After that the plan was to go out and meet my other sister "Brandy" and then do some of the touristy stuff you do in New Orleans.

Yep. Shopping and drinking.

OH - and lots of Beignets. If you don't know what a Beignet is.. it's a delicious ass powdered donut.

We get to bourbon street and park - and THERE SHE IS! Sister #2.

She's my OLDER sister. By 3 months. The first Irish Triplets.

She's smart, successful and super pretty. She's got my same olive skin complexion. I've always been the "older" sibling my whole life. I was always the hard worker and the one who had my shit together. Now I have a big sister who's smarter and more successful than me.

At first, meeting was a little awkward. We are strangers thrown into the most awkward scenario you could imagine. It's a kind of forced relationship.

Do you remember when you were kids and your mom would have a friend who had kids too?? Ya'll were forced to meet each other and hang out. At first you didn't really know this person but you end up quickly bonding.

It's kind of like that.

Weird at first, but now I talk to her all the time. It's gotta be weird for them too. From their POV. This is weird shit too.

We ended up hanging out for the afternoon. We walked around New Orleans and did some shopping and drinking. We had to go! Time to get dressed to meet DAD!

And that's the story of my 2nd sister. Not quite as exciting as the others but still just as valuable. I have a big sister now. She's wonderful.

My 3rd sister - Julie was flying in from Florida. Luck would have it. She was delayed. Not once but 4 times. She had to use a completely different airport to make this happen. Luckily - she's got an amazing husband and he was able to get her butt on a plane and get here JUST as we were doing dinner.

Julie was my 3rd sister and was the youngest of 3 of us IRISH TRIPLETS.

I'm older than she is by 2 months. Yep. Big brother.

She was going to miss the Introductions.

IF you remember my story from earlier. She was also the 1st surprise kid that popped up on dad's door step 20 years ago.

I think she really wanted to see everyone meet for the first time... but she'll end up missing it. :(

SO - we go to the restaurant AND.....

we are early.

I'm sure all of you were hoping that he was standing there in the spotlight and confetti would drop while we met for the first time... but that didn't happen.

AND HERE HE COMES! With his mom! My grandma.. Mi Abuelita!

I go in and immediately give him a big hug. No time for hand shakes with this shit. We going all in!

He's just a little shorter than me. When he's standing next time me... you can't miss the resemblance. Clearly he's way darker than I am but we have a lot of the same characteristics.

My Abuelita (Granny) is the most cutest little old lady. She doesn't speak english. She's light skinned like me. She's the most wonderful little lady. She gave me a big hug

There's no denying it.

Here it is guys! The moment you've all been waiting for. Here's my and my dad. Meeting for the first time. I didn't even cry. I was too happy.

We sat down and had a meal and had wine and just talked.

My dad was so cool. Not cooler than my stepdad of course, but he was pretty close.

My wife just loved him to death. He had so many stories of when he was younger and the things he did was he was in the military.

It made wish I had done this sooner so I wouldn't have missed out on those stories.

He was a Marine recruiter.

His words are like butter. Smooth.

We hung onto everything that he said and waited for more. I'm sure my sisters have heard his stories a thousand times but it's all brand new for me.

I LOVED IT!

FINALLY! - the last sibling came along!

While all of this was going on... SISTER #3 FINALLY shows up! Julie has missed all of the fun but we are so glad she finally made it!

It was a complete surprise.

Dad (It's weird calling him that, but it's easier than using his name each time) did not know that Julie was coming down for the visit. He had the whole family there!

I snapped a couple of quick pics but here we are!

We meet again in the morning to do our breakfast and say goodbyes before we head back to Arkansas.

Sad to leave.

If my dad or sisters are reading this.. sorry for sharing these pics but I'm too proud not to.

Tomorrow we wake up for a family breakfast and say our goodbyes!