Family is very important to me. I feel blessed that my children live close, that my granddaughter lives close. I don't know if it's my heritage or my temperament, but neither my husband nor I are 'modern'. We consider our families to be part of us. Different family members have lived with us throughout our marriage--mothers, sisters, children, grandchildren. The only two houses we have ever bought were bought with an eye to having room for family to move in.

So...my daughter's cats and dogs become part of our household, also.