276 + 178 + 45 weeks
This is David’s mother’s mother. She’s his last remaining grandparent. And this snapshot of her with our babies makes my heart explode.
David and I have had plenty of opportunity over the last ten years to get to know each other’s family. And I’m not just talking parents and siblings. Between family reunions, holidays, and random get-togethers, David has met most (if not all) of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and even a handful of great aunts/uncles and second cousins. I’ve met the majority of his extended family too. When his uncle passed away suddenly, I mourned; he was an awesome man and had treated me like one of his own. When one of my cousins got married in Chicago, David suggested we fly out to be there, even though it was in the middle of winter and Mila wasn’t yet a year old. His mom’s cousin was our dentist for a while. Our second date was at his sister’s house. The first time he met my grandma, she made him dress up as a wise man for the family nativity.
Sometimes it’s exactly as awkward as it sounds, but most of the time it’s pretty great.
We’ve got fairly large extended families on every side. Moreover, we like our extended families. When circumstances allow for it, we love to spend time with them, whether it’s a casual dinner or a full-on family reunion. Our marriage obviously brought us together, but even if we weren’t married, we’d probably still be friends with at least a few members of each other’s family.
It’s nice. And I know we’re exceptionally lucky. Not everyone gets in-laws they enjoy. Believe me, I am grateful every day that David’s family loves me and that mine loves him.
That said, I’m so interested in how other families merge. Do your respective parents get along? Have they even spent time together other than at your wedding? Do you ever hang out with your spouse’s siblings when your spouse isn’t around? Has your in-law situation surprised you? When it comes to “your family + mine” what’s the best and/or worst thing?
I feel so lucky in the in-law department. Our situation is similar to yours – we both know most of each other’s extended families. I hang out with Andrew’s siblings and parents without him all the time. I always feel bad when people have horrible relationships with the family they’ve married into.
I’m so glad you both got great in-laws! Doesn’t it make things easier?