New Family

Hello there...Happy December <3

My husband's birthday just past (Dec 2) and for his present, I brought his daughter, Mandy home from New York so all his children could be with him. It was a 'fantastical' visit. She is 33 and a DNA Expert for the state police in New York. His son, Jeremy is a police officer in Nogales, AZ and is 27. This was Rachel and mines first time meeting Mandy, so I was very nervous. She accepted us with open arms, as did we to her. We didn't do much, as we only had 3 days with her...but we spent her father's birthday with me taking the day off (as did he)...taking Rachel to school and then spending some 'quality' time with 'our' 33 year old. She is from Dan's first marriage, but I feel as if she is mine. We took her to breakfast and then to the zoo (lol...funny to take 33 year old to the zoo but she loved it!). After picking Rachel up from school we then waited for his son to get off his shift, and he came up and we went to Apple Bee's...(Rachel's favorite) to celebrate. Then to our home where we had a wonderful visit. Thursday morning, we got up at 4 am and took Mandy back to Phoenix to catch her plane back to her home. That was sad :(

I find it amazing how you open your heart so openly and someone accepts it. Yes I am 'just' the step-mom, but for her to see how her daddy is treated (she is a daddy's girl) made me feel good. It's one thing to text and write and say all the words that describe how you treat one, but to actually see it is even better. My family is so blessed to have Dan and his children in our life. They are wonderful and would give the shirt off their back for anyone (as is their dad as well). I was VERY worried about Rachel and how she would react to sharing her "daddy" again, as her biological daddy has been deceased for over 13 years now and she was only 19 months when we lost him. She has latched on to Dan and this is great. She loved Mandy and adores Jeremy, and was pretty good through the whole 3 day visit. There was a little tiny bit of jealousy but that was to be expected. Dan was wonderful enough to show her a little bit more of attention and the world was fine.

I shudder to think of all the families who have married into new families where things do not go as planned. The jealousy, the resentments, and the kids STILL wanting parents to get back together. My first husband is deceased due to a car crash and their mom has kept herself out of their children's life because when they were younger they chose to live with their daddy and not her. I suppose this all means in layman's terms to me that our two families ARE meant to be together. April (my oldest) still resents (I did not remarry until 13 years after we lost their daddy as my life was wrapped around them and that is the way it should be) and I assume one day she will come around. She says that she knows Dan makes me happy but she has a funny way of showing it. She comes around seldom and to be quite honest with you I am afraid to have her around much more as she has a weird attitude around Dan and I don't care for this. She said she has changed yet I don't see it as much. She lives on her own with her friends and is happy. I try to let her live her life as she wants and I don't interfere at all. I help if I can when she asks and that's all I can offer, along with my love.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Christmas and ENJOY your family. Whether they are married into your family and they are yours biologically. Everyone deserves that chance to make anew and I hope one day April decides this as well. Merry Christmas.