Ham and Cheese family!

2 of the 3 MacPhail's  represented at Ham and Cheese night!

Upon deciding we needed a family night, we, the MacPhail family headed out to the movies and then to a relatively unimpressive restaurant, just to be with one another in an uninterrupted way. We had a blast laughing through out Ice Age 4. The only argument was when we accused each other of hogging the popcorn, but we pushed through and shared appropriately. 

There was a a beautiful song during the end credits entitled We Are. I have included the lyrics below, which I think quite describes us. One of the characters new to this sequel was Syd's antiquated sloth grandmother who is somewhat senile and often nonsensical. During the closing song all the characters take a turn singing the line "we are family", when grandma comes on screen she messes up the line and sings, "we are ham and cheese". The line gets quite a laugh from those who remain to watch the end credits. Although she is corrected, she keeps singing ham and cheese instead of family. At then end, she harmonizes just fine with all the others who are singing the correct line. 

Ice Age, from its beginning speaks to what family can be like. A bunch of misfits who find a place to belong and call their own. Even in Ice Age 4, after 3 movies of solidifying the original misfit family, Syd, Manny and Diego continue to include those who are really not allowed by societies rules to fit into what is considered normal. Ice Age has created what I am now calling the ham and cheese families of the world. 

This message of finding your place speaks volumes to me. In a world where I often feel inadequate, too small, and ill-equipped to belong I find my own ham and cheese family right there beside me supporting and loving me as I am. Amazing isn't it.

I have to tell you, my ham and cheese family does not stop with the three MacPhails. I am part of a much larger inadequate, inadequate and imperfect family, God's. God did not call us into his family because we are typical or ordinary, he calls us into his family because he wants us how He created us; imperfect and ill-equipped, He gives us what is needed to shine for Him, we need not even try to bring that ourselves. We, God's family, are the perfect ham and cheese family, we might look different, and we might act different, but we have found a place to belong and friends, there is nothing..nothing greater than knowing where you belong. 

We are  By Keke Palmer

We are, we are

Not your ordinary fami-mily

But we can all agree that

We are, we are

Close as close can be

So it don’t matter what it looks like

We look perfect to me

We got every kind of lover

We’re so lucky indeed

They can keep on talking

It don’t matter to me cause

We are, we are family

We are are are are (We are are)

We are are are are (We are are)

We are are are are (We are are)

We are, we are family, family, family

We are, we are family

So what?

We don’t look, we don’t act

We don’t walk, we don’t talk

Like you do

So what?

If we hang just a hang and no shame

We both do what we want to

Cause we come from everywhere

Searching for ones to care

Somehow we found it here

We found us a home

We are, we are

Not your ordinary fami-mily

But we can all agree that

We are, we are

Close as close can be

So it don’t matter what it looks like

We look perfect to me

We got every kind of lover

We’re so lucky indeed

They can keep on talking

It don’t matter to me cause

We are, we are family

Ok, so the links in our chains makes us strange

But really they make us stronger

And no one would replace not a thing

Mother or father

Cause we…

Cause we come from everywhere

Searching for ones to care

Somehow we found it here

We found us a home

We are, we are

Not your ordinary fami-mily

But we can all agree that

We are, we are

Close as close can be

So it don’t matter what it looks like

We look perfect to me

We got every kind of lover

We’re so lucky indeed

They can keep on talking

It don’t matter to me cause

We are, we are family

(Family)

(We are, we are)

We are, we are family