The time I met Dean's family

I have come across a lot of posts for "Whatever Wednesday" today.  Apparently today's theme is "First time..."  That works out well for me because I had already planned on writing about the unique way I met some of Dean's extended family before I knew that it was a "day of firsts".

As most of you know, Dean and I were friends for much longer that we have been a couple.  Before he left for Malta for a year, I had decided to go down to New Jersey to visit him, just as a friend.  I had met Dean's immediate family a few times before, but other than his grandparents the rest of the family were still strangers.

That was until my second trip to New Jersey.  Dean and I went with his parents and sister to a friends house for games (this is a common Gootee family activity).  The evening seems normal enough until we got in the car to leave.  Then his mother received a phone call from her sister saying that Al (Dean's mother's step-father) had had a heart attack and we needed to go to the hospital right away.  While en route, we received a second call to say that he didn't make it but please still come because Dean's aunt was hysterical.

We walked into the waiting area of the hospital and saw Al.  Just sitting there alive a well. Turns out the person that had the heart attack was actually Bob, Dean's aunt's live in boyfriend of many years.  After all the initial confusion had been cleared, the family's eyes turn to me.  I was doing my best to just sit in the corner and stay unseen and out of the way.  Then some one said "Oh Dean, is this your girlfriend?"  We both quickly replied with a "no no, we are just friends".  This was followed by awkward introductions and my condolences.

And that my friends is how I met my husband's extended family. In a hospital after some one died, before we were even dating.  It took Dean's aunt about four more introductions before she could remember that she knew me.

Dean's parents