Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you have doubt about someone else's view of a phototgraphic image, or some other situation; try to breathe and relax, and when feeling more relaxed do ask them. You can ask your husband why he likes photography, or putting together particular images. You can find out directly from him in this kind of way, at least some of the whys. (He might have had some intentions which could help with your hurt feelings.) What do the photos mean to him, or what do they remind him of? (try to get his point of view about what he was thinking when he picked this or that photo). Feelings just are, and the challenge is to manage them as they occur. Just knowing and being aware of them is a good first step. P.S. New Years is coming up, and even regular days of the week in case that holiday is already spoken for; but you can share any ideas with him about how you can share some personal time-- or experience which could help a lot to reinforce that you are a unique and a valued person to him. (It's similar to that week in the mountains, but this kind of thing could be shorter and done for anniversaries and birthdays too-- or any time it is important to do).

"But since I was 18, I have been isolated from them. My parents include both the boys in all their vacations and most activities, although I'm rarely if ever invited. They even started excluding me from their 'family' Christmas with the Big Tree upstairs, since I have kids - supposedly, and have made me do Christmas with them in the downstairs entertainment area with my aunt and her kids - after and separate from their Christmas (although both of my SILs have attended theirs since they first dated my brothers)." I second KKNY and others who suggested there is a major backstory here that is missing. No parents "isolate" their 18 yo daughter (if that's what they did) without a reason. Parents don't have a "separate" Christmas (with a separate "Big Tree upstairs" which I guess is also an indication of a more special family celebration)from their DD just because she has children. (You indicated that your brothers' girlfriends (now wife and fiancee) have always been included in the "Big Tree" celebration, so it's not the fact that you have a DH.) AND, as for the slide show, it is extremely weird that you were not in any photos. I don't mean to be flippant, but, in the absence of some horrid mistake, a monkey putting together a slide show like this would make sure that there was at least one photo of all of the groom's siblings, especially one who lived with him, as you apparently did, for the first nine years of his life. No, it seems to me that there is much, much more to this than you have disclosed, so much that I certainly can't give you any advice. However, IF on the other hand, you truly have given a full and accurate depiction of events and you have never done anything whatsoever to warrant or cause your "isolation" and have no idea on earth why your mother, SD and 2 DSBs would treat you this way, then if I were you, I would consider these people psychopathic and disassociate myself from them.

Hi No it is not wrong to be resentful but its not healthy over the long term. I have been at this stepfamily game for 17 years. My stepdaughters are adults and it has never improved. They lived with us for several years. Bio mom is a piece of work...I won't say anymore. My husband longs for a big happy family and he is FINALLY realizing that it wont happen and he has FINALLy acknowledged that I have tried and he has FINALLY acknowledged that despite what his daughters tell him e.g. " we want a relationship with her...that would be me"...they don't do anything to reciprocate. I have lived through the non gifts, the gifts with only their dad's name on them, the whining if they didn't get want they wanted, the demands for money, the accusations over ...well...anything and a couple of years ago I just said to myself and husband...I am done. I don't invite them over anymore...if he wants to see them...he can invite them...I don't buy Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, anything anymore...he does it all. Now that there are grandchildren...husband buys for all of them and visits by himself. No one seems to mind...which was proof that is what they wanted all along. So our children from our marriage stay home with me and husband visits with stepdaughers after Christmas...by himself. Irony is ex-wife has left her third husband (again) and now lives with one of them so my husband has to co-habitate in same house when he goes to visit. He won't stay in a hotel because he doesn't want to hurt the daughters feelings. By the way...they have been divorced for 23 years!!!!!!!!! Translation...whenever he has shared he doesn't want to see exwife...daughter's have a melt down and then box him out for months at a time. It's all bizarre, very bizarre. So I focus on my marriage, my kids, my career and leave all of the batshit crazy stuff behind. It is liberating no longer being the scapegoat, it is liberating just being what they always accused me of...distant...which I have years of proof that would demonstrate otherwise. I have sent olive branches over the years to the bio mom, when her son from her first marriage (not my husband's son) tried to commit suicide...I sent her flowers and a note card encouraging her, reminding her that she was a good mom...nothing...not even an acknowledgement of receipt of flowers. I have invited her to Christmas dinner when she was "split" from her third husband for the 900th time...no acknowledgement...I did it for the kids not for me...believe me. She lied and told one daughter she paid for college tuition and blamed us for not carrying our share when we paid for the WHOLE tuition!!!!! You are damned if you do and damned if you don't...so I don't. Is it sad? Yes, it is sad because you know it could have been so much nicer. I kept hoping that when they grew up, had kids of their own...well they are in their late 20's and early 30's and it has never changed...I came into their father's life 5 years after their mom left him for another man so I had nothing to do with their divorce. I have made mistakes but the one thing I have always wanted is the benefit of the doubt, assumption of positive intent and those quite frankly are two very mature concepts that don't live very often in a blended family. I know this may sound depressing and one could continue to believe that hope springs eternal...but am afraid to say that it won't likely happen...it is too painful for these "kids" to like you as it stirs up all of these emotions: disloyalty to their mom, the fact that the divorce may have been a good thing, their parents won't ever get back together, the elimination of a scapegoat vs their own accountability...too tough to give all of that up. So...no you aren't wrong to feel resentful...but my advice is to give that up quickly and move to not expecting anything, don't kill yourself over their approval, it is what it is and the sooner you accept that fact I am living proof to say that the happier you will be and the drama will begin to dissipate. Be strong...you are doing amazing things.

As a Fabricator, I am always open to having clients present on the day of templating. This is good for both of us for a number of reasons - Like your project, IF there are more than one stone being used, which one goes where? Preference of overhang dimensions, radiused edges, pop outs (or bump outs - whatever you want to call them), etc. As far as the stone color goes - if there are areas of interest to the customer that they either DO or DO NOT want in areas of prominence - THAT is WAAAAAYYY good to know = BEFORE we cut the slabs up..... :0 When it comes to seams, I decide where they will go, and my customer accepts my decision. They look to me to advise where the semas should go, primarily because I have been doing this for 23 years now....... We also do things pretty "visually" to show our customers where the seams will be (with a layout drawing showing where the seams will be, as well as overhang dimensions, etc). We are also working on using a slab optimization program where we can shoot a digital picture of the slab (to scale) and then overlay WHERE the individual pieces that will make up the kitchen (or whatever the project is) will lay out on the slab. THIS is pretty critical in showing a customer that may not ever have had Granite before - what their vein matchup - or lack thereof - will actually look like BEFORE the slabs are even put on our water jet. Here's an example of what I like to call "Perpindicular Vein Match" - two pieces of Santo Cecillia that made up a 90 degree inside corner - we could not do a 45 degree mitered corner. The customer was cool with this, and we proceeded..... no problemo - happy customer!!! Bottomline as far as I am concerned is this - Should you be there on the day of Template? ABSOLUTELY Should you have the opportunity to have a say in what pieces get cut of where on each slabs? ABSOLUTELY Should you be cool with where the seams are going to go? ABSOLUTELY I have this saying: "If a customer KNOWS exactly what they are getting, (in your case - your Granite countertops) they won't be SHOCKED when they get it.... (once it's installed in YOUR home and you are loving it)" the more you know about the product that you are investing in before you make the investment - the more happy you'll be with your decision Hope that helps ya kevin