Family-Moon

Our Family-Moon

On June 21st, Jason and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary. (Woo hoo!) HOW IN THE WORLD DID TWELVE MONTHS GO BY SO QUICKLY?!  Unlike many couples who celebrate their first year with a romantic getaway for two, our anniversary will be a family affair that includes my two step-daughters, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  After all, I had the good fortune of becoming both a wife and a step-mom when I said “I do” one year ago.

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Sophia – Age 10

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Carina – Age 7

I am blessed to have two loving step-daughters who instantly accepted me into their lives, and I wanted them to know that I love them like my own.  So soon after we were engaged, I suggested to Jason that we take the girls on a Family-Moon the week after our wedding.  This way we could solidify our new family and, most importantly, the girls wouldn’t feel like I was taking their Daddy away from them.  Jason thought it was a great idea, and the girls were thrilled when we told them we were ALL going to Mexico after the wedding.

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Family-Moon in Puerto Morales, Mexico

We had a blast!  We swam and snorkeled and ate our hearts out.  The girls LOVED telling anyone who would listen that we were on our Family-Moon and that they were junior bridesmaids in their Dad & step-mom’s wedding. Including them in our post-wedding vacation made them feel special and helped Jason and I seamlessly transition into our new roles as co-parents.  It was the perfect way to begin our new family, and I encourage other blended families to plan Family-Moons of their own.  Of course, Jason and I recognized the need to also celebrate the commitment we made to one another, and six months later we went on our own Honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand – which I’ll tell you all about in a future edition of The Corner of Chestnut & Vine.

Finally, this blog entry would not be complete without a shout-out to my wonderful parents, Dee and Dennis McCauley, who also celebrate their wedding anniversary on June 21st.  Happy 46th Anniversary, Mom & Dad!  Your example inspires me to be the best wife and parent I can possibly be.  Jason and I love you and are honored to share your anniversary!

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Dee & Dennis on their 45th Wedding Anniversary

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