Family or Friend?

There is nothing better than dinner with friends/family. It’s hard to know what to call M and B.  M is a distant cousin to my husband. But to say they are just cousins doesn’t pay the relationship justice.

B is my teaching partner (yes we both teach first grade and yes we both have the same last name, in the same small school), and one of my best, closest friends. But to just say we are friends doesn’t pay our relationship justice either.

B was my children’s favorite teacher (4^th grade then). She opened their eyes and hearts to such books as Harry Potter, The Man Who Loved Clowns, and Hatchet.  She helped nurture a love of reading they hadn’t freely grasped before then. It was around this our friendship was created, but soon grew to be so much more.  

M is one of my kids’ favorite fun relatives. M and B own farmland that has a small lake, and my kids claim it as their own (well they do have the same last name they like to say). We have spent countless summers there camping, fishing, playing and relaxing; thanks to M and B’s willingness to share. We often jokingly ask if they’d like to join us for a cookout at “our” lake.

Last night we treated them to grilled steaks and “crockpot” cake, and they treated us to “crockpot” potatoes (yummy) and hours of conversation, laughter, teasing, and fun. The teenage daughter lingered at the table to join in the tales. The college son came home because he knew M and B were coming to dinner. Even when the husband rushed out at the blaring of his pager (another grass fire), we continued on.  The son watched basketball with M, and B and I pondered the remaining days of school and how quickly it will go.   

So what do you call these friends that are family and family that are friends? How do you name this type of relationship or connection?  What do you say to people when they ask? I don’t know what they would say, but we say we are very, very blessed.