We gained a son yesterday. Well, a son-in-law. My stepson-in-law, to be precise. K has been around as long as I have been in the family, but yesterday was the day they decided to exchange their vows and change their lives.

In talking with the kids, I heard echoed back the same things Mr. FixIt and I said when WE decided to get married. We had been living together for a while and there came a point where it didn’t feel right in our hearts to continue without being married. I’m so proud of them wanting to get back into church and make things legal so they could…to use their words, “live right.”

It was a tiny, informal wedding in the church the groom’s grandfather literally helped build. His parents were there along with the former Mrs. FixIt and the two of us. When it came time to stand up with the couple and the pastor, I elected to be the photographer. It’s not that I was excluded in any way…I was not. It was my choice to let the parents of the bride and groom have this honor. I was honored to be included in other ways and to document the moment for posterity.

As I watched the family mingling afterwards, my heart swelled with pride for the way we have approached this situation. Too many families are destroyed by divorce. It can be contentious and ugly and I see absolutely no reason for that to be the case here. No one is taking anyone else’s place. No one is trying to one up the other. We are a true family and I am so pleased we can emulate that for our kids and grandkids.

Divorce and remarriage is hard enough without adding dysfunction and discord. It was a beautiful day and we gained another family member. I love these kids as my own. Actually, three if you count the groom’s parents. I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet them before, and they were as sweet as could be. Since we are still in a pandemic, we elected not to go out to dinner afterwards as we haven’t had a meal inside since covid started. Instead, we will wait till summer and have a big picnic out here on the Ponderosa to serve as a reception for the kids.

In the meantime, the rain has come and cooled things off. Unfortunately, it also has interrupted our project timeline. If anything, we’re flexible so it will all get done in due time!

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“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”

Proverbs 18:22 ESV