I have to ask, how come you never put a dot at the end of your last sentence? Is it some kind of OCD thing?
Also, agree on the whole family is what you make of it thing. I have wildly varying degrees of bonds with my siblings (we are 5) (don't speak with my homophobe brother for example) and parents (don't care for my father much).
Nothing quite as reality tv as exo's situation though. That NJ is really wild!