Family Ties

Now that the engagement is official, so much about the wedding feels real.  One of those things is the fact that our family will be growing!  I'm not really talking about Greg, although I must say this might be the least painful way to add a fifth child to our brood.  No, I'm talking in-laws.

For so many years, in-laws have been the butt of many a joke.  I have friends who call their spouses family the out-laws.  And movies like Meet the Parents have raised the idea to a fine art. 

Making the relationship between two different families work can be a challenge.  But it's so essential to giving the new couple the best possible base on which to build their marriage and family.

Greg comes from a nice family, and we enjoy spending time with his mom and dad.  All new in-laws walk a fine line between welcoming their new 'offspring' and crossing boundaries.  I'm trying to be very conscious of the fact that Greg has two parents who love him and have raised him.  I don't want to come close to usurping that role; we only want to be complementary parents!  And I know that the Prados want to have a close and healthy relationship with Devyn too.  They already treat her with love and respect.

It's an ongoing learning process, and one that I realize could be rocky at times.  But with a little understanding and patience, I think it's possible the in-laws can avoid being the outlaws.