Family

The dress fitting went fantastically!
So many women showed up, half with kids in tow. My mother, maternal grandmother and aunt, sister-in-law (my brother's wife), his mother and 7 or 8 of my closer female friends attended.

The dress fits wonderfully, there's a few problems which need to be fixed but we're going to wait until closer to the day since I'm now on a strict diet and exercise regimen to get back down to a healthier weight.

The table of projects and things already acquired looked great. It'll be a lovely reception hall when everything's set up. A vision is now forming solidly in my head of where everything goes and what the final look will be. There's a few things I still need to consider, like where in the world do we put the coat racks which are currently standing where I want our wedding party/cake table to be?

Having his mother there was nice, she was able to meet the women who helped to shape me into the woman I am today. (Aunt Mary, Granny and Mom had the greatest influence on me throughout my childhood in learning how to be a woman, wife and mother.) She was able to meet my girlfriends and see how supported and loved both Martin and I are. She and my family were able to see that we have a ready and waiting community of families to build our family foundation with, to raise our children in and they were able to see me interact with a large age range of children.

Animals and children adore me, from first sight most kids want to talk to and play with me. If the old saying is true, that you can tell the character of a person by how small children and animals react to them - then I'm a pretty good person. They always want to have my attention and love to be around me, even when I have to discipline them for wrong behavior. I adore children of all ages and believe in treating them as equals who are still gathering the basic information needed to survive in this world. They regard Martin the same as they do me and he's very similar in beliefs.

We never even considered having our wedding and reception be child-free, instead almost 1/3 of the guest list is 16 yrs or younger. A large majority of those are between 2 and 9.

Last night we spent several hours with his family, since the brother directly above him in age is in town with his son this weekend. It went rather well. We're trying to make sure his family feels included in everything and has every opportunity to participate on a level they are comfortable with. I cannot but help to include my immediate family on my end of things, it's only fair that his side is given the same consideration.

This is the part in a relationship I've never had before: the inclusion of the families. It's very odd and causes some anxiety on my part just from the unfamiliarity of it. Eventually this awkwardness will go away and I'll wonder what I was so worried about to begin with.

Next month we're going to visit my father in Missouri. He and his wife are excited that we're coming out, I haven't seen him since my brother was married in 2005 and I haven't visited since my 10 year reunion in 2001. They have been looking forward to communicating with and meeting Martin.

(I think my family had given up on me ever finding someone to marry and have a family with. They seem so relieved that Martin and I found each other! LOL The main topic besides the wedding these days is "When can we expect grandbabies??")

It's awfully funny to witness the change in people's behavior towards me now that I'm being made an "honest woman" by Martin. Some old beliefs are hard to break on the women's lib front it seems...

Ok, enough rambling about family for now. This coming Saturday is our Engagement Party at Enzo's End Pizzaria. The two families meet for the first time and many of our friends will be there as well - hopefully it'll be an easy merging of two worlds and not a collision!