Marcus Joel

Yesterday was Marcus' 39th birthday!  Marcus joined our family about 13 years ago and when he did, his and Lori's family looked like this.

Now he's an important part of this large family.

And an even more important part of this smaller family which looks more like this now.

I didn't conduct a phone interview with Marcus.  I've started to feel that adults don't have as many changes in their lives as kids so their interviews become redundant.  Therefore, I'm going to post a few of my favorite interview questions and answers from previous Marcus posts.

From 2011:

How did you feel about joining such a large family 7 years ago? That's a good question. It was a really exciting, neat family to see from the outside and then it was really exciting and neat to be a part of it. 

And how did you feel about being an instant 'dad' 7 years ago? It was awesome because all three of the kids are so awesome. They didn't have any resistance to me from the beginning and they were so great that I wanted to be their dad. 
Do you enjoy your role as stepdad to three teenagers? It's been far more challenging than I thought it would be. I was always excited about them getting older, but wow, it's been tough at times. I'm looking forward to them as 'adults'. lol 
What do you like best about it? When they exceed expectations which they do all the time. 
From 2013:

I know that you're away a lot during the week for work but you always make it home for the weekends.  Do you feel like your weekends are better just because you appreciate your time at home more?  Most of the time they are.  The time is so limited that's it's really special to have those 48 hours on the weekends to do things together.  Even simple things like going for a walk together are special.  

Do you like being a step-dad?  Oh, I love it.  It's the best job I've ever had and I don 't consider myself a step-dad I consider myself a dad.  The highlight of my day so far was when Lori texted me a picture of the boys together this morning.

It seems like you're a just-about-perfect stepfather - always supportive and offering guidance but never overstepping you're role.  Do you find it a difficult balance?   I did at first but we kind of developed our roles as parents early on and the last 8 to 10 years have been no problem at all.

So, yes I did kind of dwell on the step-dad aspect of Marcus' role in their family but that's because he's such an exceptional dad.  You have to know Marcus to appreciate his wisdom and kindness. He's reasonable and understanding and only wants the best for everybody.  We are so blessed that he's part of our family.

Here are a couple more excerpts from 2013:

He's always so willing to help out, talk about what everyone else wants to talk about, play whatever everybody else wants to play, and smile agreeably every time I decide to take a picture.

Ask him a favor and he never hesitates.  He's one of our most important sous chefs on New Year's Eve, a wonderful and attentive bartender, and helps out anywhere and anytime he is needed.

And my thoughts today:  Marcus is truly a blessing and a joy to be around.   He fades back when he's not needed but he's front and center if he is.  He's smart, considerate, kind, and sweet; and we couldn't ask for a better son-in-law.  We hope his birthday yesterday was amazing and that the coming year brings him success and happiness beyond his wildest dreams.