Thirty Things to be Thankful For #12

OK, this isn't sarcastic: I'm thankful for my {in-laws}! I love my {in-laws}. Jared's parents are fantastic {in-laws}! They are everything I hoped for when I joined the family (and more ;)) Even with 10 kids, 10 kids in-law, and 34 grandchildren, they make us all feel special! They always have time to help with anything we need, give lots of support and guidance when needed, and love us no matter what. I've remarked many times how amazing Carolei is. Stephen loves babies and spoils the kids with his Swedish Fish! They host tons of parties for 50+ people. That's so much work, but they do it for all of us.

(It actually feels weird calling them Stephen and Carolei because all of us call them Mom and Dad.)

Jared's siblings and all of the spouses are all great too! They're willing to lend a hand with moving ;) or babysitting or whatever we need. They're tons of fun to hang out with, too! We love to talk on Sunday nights or anytime we get together. It's always difficult to schedule time with so many people, but it's always worth it! The boys love all of their cousins, too. I sometimes wonder...if there aren't any bad apples, does that mean I'm the bad apple? I hope not.

When I hear jokes about {in-laws} or hear friends talk about their {in-laws}, I always think somehow I lucked out. But it wasn't all luck. That was an important piece I was looking for in a husband. A family I wanted to join. And Jared had that. And luckily I fell in love with him. :)

I also think about what makes my {in-laws} so great, and I think that, above-all, Jared's parents make it clear that loving each other and caring about each other comes above everything else. It doesn't mean we don't have conflicts. But we all know that we're a family, no matter what, and that comes first! I love them all 300+++!