One Big Happy Family

Love is in the air! Last night we had the second of our two September weddings. September 2nd my middle son Mitchell married Kami. Then yesterday, Richards daughter Dakota married Preston. There are so many things I could say about this! It has been a very special season for us! Here is what I want to talk about, the emotional roller coaster that comes with this much change all at once!

This morning as Richard and I had our coffee and reminisced about the wedding, he was so emotional! He was saying that he knew that he should be happy but what he felt was sad. He and Dakota have always been so close and they have an incredibly special bond. Dakota is Daddy’s girl and he loves it! Richard has taught her to be grounded in her faith and that the sky is the limit. She believed him on both fronts and she is going to soar for sure.

It is a funny thing though, as happy as Richard is for Dakota, when one thing begins in our lives, another thing has to come to an end. We actually have to mourn the loss of what was in order to fully embrace the new thing that God is doing in our lives.  

I felt much the same when Mitchell got married. I have one son that is already out of the house, my youngest is a senior in high school, and now the middle one was getting married and moving out. All I could see was what I hadn’t gotten to do yet and now it was over. I am done raising them, but what if I missed something? It looked like my time with them was ending and it all felt too late. I was so sad! How could I be so sad when I love the girl he is marrying.

Then God changed my perspective. I felt as though I was losing my family as I know it. The truth is, that I was, and that is okay. God knows my love of big family dinners around the table. I love having everyone together, the loud conversation, and the laughter. Basically, God said to me, you’re going to need a bigger table! Yes! My family is in fact changing, it is growing. God showed me that what He is doing in my life and in my family is generational. It doesn’t stop because someone gets married or because Dawson will graduate from high school, this is only the beginning!

Here is the funny thing, this was a lesson God had already showed us. We are a big blended family already. Richard welcomed my boys, I welcomed Dakota, and now we get to continue to add amazing people into the family. It’s a beautiful thing. Some of us are family by chance and others we get to choose.

This is a lot like the family of Christ. When we choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are accepted into Christ family. It only makes sense that we would do the same. God is amazing!

Oh, by the way…my oldest just got engaged to Katie. We love her and her son Riley! Looks like we are going to need two more seats and the table.