Hi everyone!

Long time no post… I’ve popped in to read up on how everyone’s doing (it’s weird but I worry about you all like family now!) though I haven’t had time to post or blog. My in-laws (all of em! Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, her husband and kids… the whole fam-damly!) have been visiting us from Pittsburgh for the last week and it’s been a literal circus!!! 7 adults and 4 kiddies under the age of seven crammed into our new little house for almost an entire week… my hands are still shaking from tidying up and washing dishes. But it was really worth the exhaustion… DH and the skids had a BLAST being surrounded by their family (who hasn’t been “all together” since we moved down south almost nine months ago!) and I really bonded with the in-laws like “family”.

It was pretty emotional.

Everyone settled in their various rooms and made camp. The kids ran around in and out of the house like little Indians and the men played cards and smoked cigars on the deck. The women folk made TONS of food and kept busy picking up toys and making sure everyone didn’t get sick on candy! We went through two bottles of dish soap, an entire box of garbage bags, 8 rolls of paper towels and countless juice boxes… it was AWESOME!

Mother Russia made one appearance all week…
She planned a trip away with her friends and just popped in one time to “say hello”. It’s always an uncomfortable situation when we’re all together “like a family”… my DH’s parents are visually torn between showing us attention (BM and myself). I tend to play the good hostess and try to fade into the background until she leaves… and in this case it was perfect! The in-laws got to see her in action and it really opened their eyes to some things. Separately they each came up to me and commented on how much the boys have blossomed since DH and I have been together and how much of a loving “home” we’ve made for them. They even went so far as to say that BM looked at her own kids like they were just the neighbor kids or something… sad but true.

And last night right before the caravan pulled out of dodge DH’s father gave me a giant hug in front of everybody… and with tears in his eyes told me how grateful he is that I’m taking care of “his boys”. He said that his son has never had a wife and partner that loves him and shares their family values as much as I do and knowing that I’m down here talking care of them all like I do lets him rest easy at night back home. I was completely speechless… still am really… but that moment is going to be a giant building block in the wall that supports my marriage to DH. When my doubts and insecurities as a wife and stepmum claw at my throat I’m going to try to remember that moment of honest affection from his family and smile.

Sappy I know… but I’m feeling good today.
Happy Easter Monday Steppers.... missed ya!