Turkey with a side of awkward

For Thanksgiving we traveled to my parent's home in Gaylord for the long weekend. On Saturday we drove another 2 hours across the bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, MI to visit my grandparents that I have not seen in about 9 years. Did I also mention my "sperm donor" was there? This would not be the father of my daughter but rather my biological father that I have also not seen in 9 years and probably another 16 years before that one meeting. The story is not a new one. Boy and girl meet and fall in love. They get married and have a baby. And then they wake up one day and realize it just doesn't work. Frankly, I don't actually know what happened between my mom and Craig. I don't think that is a topic that warms her heart so if I have asked in the past I have forgotten the answer. And now I don't much see the point in asking. My mom remarried when I was little and my dad adopted me when I was 5. Sperm donor relinquished his parental rights along with his financial responsibility to me. On a very important side note my father is a wonderful man and I am very blessed that he is in my life. He taught me how to throw a ball and the importance of doing what you love.

Moving on to now. I was a bit nervous about meeting up with this part of my family since it had been so long. And also because I just don't see how they fit into my life anymore. Mostly the sperm donor. I have a father so I am not sure what role Craig is expecting to fill.

My grandparents place has not changed much since I was last there so many years ago. It is a large stone house on a farm with a dilapitated barn that sits on the river that leads out to Lake Nicolet. My grandfather and I used to fish that lake when I was little. He is not doing well. I will not see him in this life time again. That was very hard to take but it made me happy that we had come.

The meeting lasted a few hours and it was mostly painless. My favorite part was when Craig gave Maddie a gift of what he kept calling a stuffed dog. This thing was NOT a dog. It was definitely a horse. And when he went to pull the tag off the "dog" to give it to Maddie I saw the words Dog Toy written on it. So while it was a very nice gesture on his part he did, in fact, buy my daughter a dog toy. With a squeaker.