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Well, this one hit us like a truck.

Life was motoring along with all of the normal ups and downs:  T and I have good jobs, own our house, have three boys and are relatively stable emotionally.  Or should I say, 'were'.  T's sister had been diagnosed with terminal cancer almost seven years ago.  Incredible that she had the determination to live longer than any of the medical professionals had estimated!

More incredible is that the relationship between her and her children's father (then husband) had deteriorated to the point that they separated and he took a step away from the family.  I suspect there was a bit of encouragement from the mother for this to happen.  To add insult to injury, the mother had requested that the two children be raised by her younger sister, not the father.

This decision resulted in T and I stepping away from the family poliltics.  We were not included in any of the decision-making and we learned to accept this as things were not supposed to affect us.  Fast foward seven years (you know where this is heading, right?)... the younger sister has moved out of the country and cannot take custody of the kids.  The father is neither capable and, I would argue, not interested, in engaging with these two children full time.  Bam.  Ten days notice and our little, happy family became a bigger happy family.

This blog is about the trials and tribulations of amalgamating a family to include two children who have not had the easiest shake at their formative years.   This is the good, bad and the ugly because no situation is perfect but we are making the best of things as we move forward and take on the world!