It's not Christmas without family

Christmas was beautiful this year. While we were at my mom's, my step-dad said, "it's not Christmas without family" and that really hit home. I am a mom and a wife and a daughter and a sister. Monte, the children and I are blessed with a lot of family! Blending families means adding more people in your life to love and celebrate with.

To begin with, Monte and I are blessed to have some of our grandparents still living. And of course, all of our VERY young parents are very much a part of our lives. The kids are in the fortunate position to have a TON of grandparents. They are very loved. I feel blessed that Monte's parents treat my children with as much love an consideration as their other grandchildren and Monte , the kids and I are very blessed to have L and L in our lives as well. My dad is the only grandparent that lives so very far away but we visit as much as we can and we all love and miss him very much.

I say allllll of that to say that we have been blessed with a wonderful extended family even though divorce and distance and the hardships of life that have touched us all. Family is what you make it. Family is the heart and spirit of love and acceptance and commitment and friendship and patience and forgiveness. Family is always being willing to see the goodness in each other and accepting one another despite differences and challenges.

We went to see Marley and Me today. What a tear jerker. In the movie, the mom says something about being surprised at how much of herself she had to give up (as a wife and mom) and that really hit home to me. I don't recognize the person I used to be and I know that there was a time that it was hard to accept all that I gave up of myself along the way but the flip side of that is that when you lay down who you think you are for your children and your husband and your family, you realize that what you gain is so much greater that what you lose.

As I grow older and the kids grow older, I hardly remember the days of not sleeping and endless diapers but I do remember the amazing moments of watching the children grow. The challenges we will face as a family together remain unknown but I know we are a family-for better or worse and we have the support and love of a huge extended family to stand by our sides. Monte and I have both experienced heartbreak and I am sure there will be hard days ahead but this Christmas, I could not be more blessed to know, that we are a family and nothing will ever change that. Ever.