Does Anyone like Both Their Family and Their In-laws?

Yes, and Yes.

I have good relationships with my parents, his parents, and extended family. I know I'm very blessed.

I Know I am one lucky chic! I ADORE my in laws :-) Love them and my SIL !
My own Parents are Wonderful and I cant imagine Life without them !!!! They've done So much for me. I'm Blessed and its nice to hear that you are as well :-) xoxoxox

I love both my own family and my husband's family like they were all my own. I also dislike them all like my own at times too lol.
I have had disagreements with both my family members and my in-laws but we get past it, no grudges held :)

Yep -I love my own family and I love my in-laws! My MIL can, of course, get annoying on occasion, but she's a very generous and sweet lady -I just don't ever want to live with her, as most people don't want to live with aging parents after they grow up! I adore my FIL! They're divorced, but he's so much fun. I love visiting there and when he comes to visit. He's had the same lady friend for 20 years, and she's awesome too! I get along with and love my father and we also felt the same way about my mother before she died. Our extended family gets along too. And yes, many of us have very different beliefs and takes on religion, politics and a number of other things -but we still like to get together and manage to get along.

Love both my family and in-laws! They are all just great people and have done so much for me and my husband and our family. Everyone on both sides are very welcoming and accepting. It's great!
~C.

Oh Marci, it's OK...just the way the question was phrased. I think it's nice to hear positive experiences because there have been so many posts from people complaining about their in-laws and family lately. I hit the jackpot with my in-laws....my family not so much. I am estranged from both parents currently (who have been divorced for 23 years). I couldn't pick them!!

I love love love my family and I get along pretty well with his family. His mom is not the easiest to get along with (with EVERYONE, not just me), but I love her anyway and we get along great most of the time. We were blessed to have 2 great families! Vastly different, but great all the same! Merry Christmas!

the only side of my family i'm extremely close to is my dad, step mom and her family

I live with my in-laws.... we get along great! I have some issues with my mom and step-dad... but while we aren't close, we do get along.

Is it just me, or is this a depressing post with depressing responses for those of us not blessed with families that love us? I don't want other people to have mean or crappy families, but it can be depressing to think that almost everyone has this joyous family but me.

Maybe I need to get off the computer. . .

I love my in-laws and I love my family. I would say my own family aggravates me more from time to time--but hey that's life! I do love them all and feel very lucky to have great in-laws--especially when I read some of the horror stories on here =)

Oh yes, my in-laws are the absolute best! We've had our run ins over the years, but it strengthened us once we got everything settled. It takes maturity, love, respect and selflessness on both people's parts to make the relationship work.

Though, there are toxic people that is dangerous emotionally/physically and we do have a few of those sprinkled on both sides of our family that we must stay away from, but overall we are very blessed.

Both my FIL and MIL were deceased prior to me meeting my hubby. He is from a larger family and I have to say that I get along with them and he with my family. For the most part it has been smooth sailing and I am blessed that I did not have to deal with In laws per se....

I love my in-laws. I get along with my mom and step-dad well (there are occasional issues). My dad is not a very pleasant person, but I am the one who has to make sure his needs are met, so I do.

I'm late - but I'm blessed.

I don't hate my in-laws. My MIL died on Mother's Day 2006. We had our rough patches, but overall - I could call her with ANYTHING!!!

My SIL?! One of them? Well, she's too much drama so I don't deal with her. When she's ready to get off her pity-pot - then we'll interact with her more often.

My other SIL?! Like you- my own flesh and blood!

My sibs?! HAVE THE BEST!!!!

Some of us really were saddled with some family members that wouldn't be happy with us if we were the Second Coming. And some folks were saddled with drug addicts and worse. This is a HARD time of year when we deal with things like that.

Many of us do the best we can. I pretty much lucked out with my family & my husband's extended fam. Since yours is a happy post, I'll leave it at that point!

Enjoy your blessing!

I really loved my in-laws. They're both gone now and I really miss them. Especially my mother in law. She and I got along wonderfully and she and my mom were great friends too.
My brother in law had mental problems and drove me a little batty sometimes, but we got along fine.
My mother in law was an awesome lady. This time of year is really hard not having her here. She loved the holidays. She cooked and sewed up a storm for everyone. She died unexpectedly just after my son was born and didn't even get a chance to see him. Fortunately, she had bee busy making blankets and things for him and he has those. Not to mention tons of ornaments and other things she made. He's the only grandchild that didn't get to enjoy her in his life and she was so excited to have another baby in the family. I was devastated when she passed away.
It's a shame some families have such turmoil.
I guess we just have to count ourselves lucky that we were blessed with a loving family.
My first mother in law was a nightmare. Things started out well, but dang she was a control freak. She's probably part of the reason I appreciated my second mother in law so much. I certainly didn't get to have her nearly long enough.

Best wishes.

I have been lucky enough to be blessed not only with a great family on my side, but my husbands as well. They have welcomed me since day one and have always been there for us and stayed out of our business :) Never do they tell us how to raise our kids but instead support the decisions we make. I truly love them and am so happy I married into such a great family!

I love both! And my "step"-mom is my mom, and I love her side of the family, too! And I have a son-in-law, and my husband and I adore him, AND we love his family, too!

You are not the only lucky one!!!! I love my MIL, and my husband says that she likes me better than him or his two sisters. We took her on vaca with us this past summer, and it made us even closer. One of my sis-in-law's is like a best friend to me, and the other we get along with ok. My parents love my husband, and vice versa. My siblings also get to see that my husband is great, and he cares for each one of them. I've always considered myself lucky, because not many can feel like one-big-happy-family all the time, and we do. Congrats!!!

Yup -- I honestly love (and better yet) enjoy the company of my family and my in-laws. Just lucky I guess. But maybe it is not all luck. I must be making myself worthy of their love and goodwill because I am 110% sure they would say they same thing about me.

Here's the thing though...Mamas are only gonna post here about a problem, concern, or vent. So just remember...For every "I hate my XYZ" post on mamapedia, there are at least 10 mamas with nothing to post because they really dig their family. = )

a little late but LOVE THEM ALL!!!

I like my in-laws and my husband likes his. We are extremely lucky not to have "that side." I love that my kids have great relationships with both sides of the family and that anyone of the family would help the other out at a moments notice. It's wonderful. I also think it's rare not to have a favorite side.

I too was blessed with a good family and good in-law family of course my in laws lived in another country but we had great visits. My family adored my husband and I often teased they liked him more than they did me.
(My husband is now deceased)

You are not alone but I always felt like I was one of the lucky ones because I heard real horror stories of in-law conflict.
Enjoy and know you are blessed

I know I am late, but yes! I love my family and my inlaws:D We have our drama from time to time but there is much love flowing all around. I am so happy we all live in the same city, Grandmas and sister in laws make the very best baby sitters. I am so spoiled to have people watching my kids who love them as much as I do!! So yeah, we are some of the lucky ones as well :D

all families have ups and downs. I adore my husbands family and he adores mine. We all get along great...we don't all live in the same city though. I consider myself very lucky for the family we have!

I love my family, and my in-laws. I have never been as close to my in-laws. Although my husband's dad died when he was a toddler and his family isn't close nit like mine, I love them to death and would do anything for most of them. He just re-discovered his dad's side a month ago so I'm slowly meeting them. I love family and feel it's so important. I'm in my later 30's and boy has wisdom come with age. I'm very close to my family, some like my husband says it's weird, but not when I look at it. I love my parents so much, my grandparents are still alive, so is my 97 year old great grandmother. I'm bless and I'm not taking any of it for granted.

My hubby, unfortunately, was in the middle of a huge and bitter custody battle. His parents divorced when he was one, got remarried, and had more children. He was bounced back and forth his whole life and was never fully included in either of the new families. It's amazing how this dysfunction has hurt me and my children who obviously weren't around when all this happened. His parents did become Christians later and live different lives but the divorce seems to still divide him from his family. Weird! Weird that it effects me and my kids. But we try to make the best of it. We've had to fight tooth and nail to be treated with respect. Considering what we've been through (I've left out all the details out), we have a good relationship with my in-laws. It's been a struggle and we continue to have to work through things but all in all, it's okay. But my hubby and I have an amazing relationship! We also have terrific relationships with our 5 children even after 19 years of marriage. But the in-law relationship, has taken a lot of work. =) Congratulations on having a close relationship with your in-laws.

I love my family & i get along really well with my in laws. My in laws have their quirks (as my family does), but i do love them & enjoy spending time with them. Given a choice i would choose mine though. :)

I had terrible inlaws but my sister has the most amazing inlaws!! They are the kindest, generous and most loving people. They don't interfere but are always there when needed and have even taken me and my DD under there wing. My DD even calls them granny & grandad. :-) They have even babysat for me and they and there other sons and families spoil my daughter with gifts at Christmas and Birthdays. My sisters MIL is the type of person who will hug you in the middle of the street for no reason. lol It gives me hope that one day I will have fabulous Inlaws too.

I had to respond because this question implies that ALL people are capable of giving and receiving love. There are many people out there that do not love themselves and therefore can not give love. If that were the case then the world would be a better place and all would get along. In the meantime we all have to deal with the situations that we are dealt and make the best of them. It sounds like you were dealt a lucky hand. You are very fortunate and should count your blessings everyday.

My hubby and I have been together since we were 16 so I absolutely regard his family as my own! And that includes all the not-so-good along with the good. Both my own mom and my MIL get on my nerves when they try to control how we do things; I tell all our siblings what to do because I'm the oldest (and a virgo - lol). At one point or another they *all* get on my nerves, but I love them all too. We're family - we're supposed to annoy each other, right!?!

I get along with my family and my husband's family (outside of a brother who doesn't feel it necessary to come around). We are all close and my husband gets along great with my family as well. I also feel sorry for those who don't or can't get along with their family or their in-laws.

My MIL is awesome. She will drop everything for her grandkids. She sometimes holds back her opinions even when asked, but that's much better than being intrusive. Glad to see something positive!

I love most of both sides :) Just a couple on each side that make my eyes cross LOL

I LOVE my in laws! The whole family is great. I'm also a lucky one because I get along with my own family as well (most of the time!). I feel that my children are the ones who benefit the most from the fact that we're close to both sides

Your presentation is somewhat untrue. You've had a difference a time or to, so all has not always been peachy with your family. Let's just say you guys get along better than most people sharing stories on this board.

As for me...

My family is wonderful. As for my EH's side, the only person who seems to keep up trouble is MIL. She didn't start out that way when we were dating, but as soon as we got married she started creating problems and seeking attention and wanting to control the grandkids. It's unacceptable and rude and overbearing, so that of course created a rippling affect of friction. Other than that, his other family members are fine. It only takes one to disrupt peace.

I get along with all of my family members, ie sisters, brothers, mother, aunts, uncles, etc. Mainly because I mind my own business and respect other people's wishes. They give me that same love and respect back.

Most of my inlaws are no longer with us, I really loved my BIL & SIL.(rip) The IL's that are here suffered greatly because of what has happened; therefore, they are just existing instead of living.

Unfortunately, you cannot change the way people think or feel about one another. There are a lot of factors that go into why people breakup or just don't get alone. I too am greatful for my meaning relationships, but I don't feel bad for anyone who don't have this. I believe that family don't have to be a blood brother or sister, it could be your pastor, friend, neighbor etc.

For those who don't have good relationships with their family due to whatever reason are given the opportunity to create good meaning relationships with others. This is why I don't feel bad. I have a strong bond with my neighbor who is like a sister to me and my friends who are more than family to me. This is why I don't harp on anyone wants to be difficult or hardened around me. I have people surrounded in my life who are there for me. Blood and non blood.

This is just to encourage those who feel like they have to have this connection with their blood linage. Build meaningful relationships and then maybe one day by example, those family members that are being harden, will want to be apart of what you started. Time heals all wounds...

Have a Happy New Year.