I WANT TO START MY VERY OWN COMMUNE.

Well, maybe commune isn’t the right word. I think I just want all my people close to me.

This last weekend John and I had our wedding reception. This isn’t the first marriage for either of us, and at our age there are no parents paying for a lovely big wedding or reception or honeymoon. It all had to come out of our pocket.

We got married at city hall last March. Then we saved up for our honeymoon to Ireland in October, and then saved up for the reception on our first anniversary. If I could give any other bride and groom advice, I would say do what we did. It turned out to be a wonderful year of anticipation and celebration.

We decided to have our reception at our favorite place, the beach, and so we searched for a big house there. We found the perfect house near Pismo and started planning the weekend. We invited our families and a few very close friends. We got a place big enough so that all the kids could stay with us. Well, they are really adults, but if John’s mom can still call us kids, then I get to do the same.

My youngest granddaughter, Brenna, was born four days after John and I got married. Since we were all going to be together we decided we should celebrate her birthday on Friday night.

We got to the beach house early on Friday and began to set up. The house has a very large sunroom with views of the ocean that made for a perfect room to celebrate a birthday and a wedding. My son Noah and daughter-in-law Amber drove up soon after us and their two happy girls came bouncing out of the car. The minute I saw them, I felt like the celebration had begun. My 2-year-old granddaughter Layla threw her arms around me and smiled and ran into the house, excited to see everything.

Amber truly is an amazing person. She is a busy mom of two young daughters but she still found time to bake for the parties. Out came boxes of homemade cupcakes and cakes beautifully decorated. She spent weeks testing recipes, making sure each was perfect.

Before we knew it my oldest son and his girlfriend arrived, as did John’s mom and sister and her 3 year old. Before long, the party was in full swing. The bubble machine was set up for the kids, John was at the barbecue cooking dinner, the birthday gifts were wrapped and I watched as my two boys talked and laughed. All was right in my world.

Before I was born, my parents moved our big family from Michigan to Hollister, California. Hollister was not only a place my father loved, it was also a place he could always go back to and call home. We have cousins there who own an Indian reservation called Indian Canyon. There were several homes on the site and when anyone in the family was in need of a place to stay, my cousin Lena welcomed them with open arms. I was born there, and even though we left Hollister to go back to Michigan when I was young, I still cherish that feeling of community.

After watching our little Brenna blow out her first birthday candle and gobble down cake, a few more guests arrived. We all sat around chatting, and it was great to see John and his buddy smiling and catching up, talking about the old days together. The night topped off with my best friend finally arriving.

By midnight it was time to send the friends off and get some sleep. We had a very big day coming up. But when John’s son and brother arrived at 1:30 a.m., I was still awake. Remember when you were a kid and you couldn’t sleep the night before Christmas because you were too excited? It was like that for me.

Saturday was a whirlwind of activity. Everyone chipped in and started moving the tables and chairs into the sunroom. The ladies started decorating the tables while the men hung lights. You know that scene where about five guys are standing around a construction site not really knowing what to do or who’s in charge? That’s about how the stringing of the lights went. Finally my son Adam took over and all the men seemed happy to let him.

When John’s second son Charlie arrived with his girlfriend, it felt like everything was just perfect. The kids were all there. They immediately set about helping with the table setting and decorating.

As soon as the room was ready we decided we needed a break, and off to the beach we all went. What is it about the beach that makes everyone so happy? The girls were digging in the sand and making castles, couples were walking hand in hand, smiling at each other, and some people even used the time to get a little exercise. I sat in the sand with my granddaughters, soaking it all in.

More family and guests arrived and I watched as each of them pitched in to help wherever they could. It’s funny, I was in shorts and a T-shirt, no makeup, hair pulled up, and it was all I could do to force myself to shower and get ready. I didn’t want to miss a minute of my family time.

My best friend Estelle worked her magic in the kitchen. Amber peeled 25 pounds of potatoes while juggling her 1 year old on her hip. Sisters and friends made appetizers. Sons and brothers set up the drinks and got the music going. And before I knew it we were ready for a party.

The evening couldn’t have gone better. We all sat down to dinner just as the sun was setting, casting a beautiful glow in the sunroom. John’s kids volunteered to help serve and kept us all laughing as they tried to figure out who got what dish.

Adam gave a toast that brought tears to my eyes. John’s brother Brian toasted us with a reminder that we were all family now. And my husband held my hand and kept smiling at me.

I smiled as my son Noah snuck off to put the girls to bed, feeling so proud of the wonderful father he had become.

It took no persuading to get the karaoke machine fired up and we all laughed as the hams got up to sing song after song. John’s two boys, Connor and Charlie, sang several songs together, and the beam in my husband’s eyes was priceless. We all took turns and it felt right to have singing at an Irish wedding celebration. I even got to sing “Wild Rover” with my husband, new brother and sisters.

Even wonderful parties have to end and after a very long time guests began leaving. We said our goodbyes and I told everyone to be sure to come back in the morning for breakfast. The kids all found their way to their rooms. John grabbed my hand to go to bed, and I said I would be right in; I had a couple of things to do.

The house was quiet. Everyone was in bed. I tidied up the kitchen and walked around the house looking at the long table setting, the remnants of a party, and smiled.

I didn’t want to go to bed, because that would mean the party was over. As I walked past Adam’s room I noticed the door open and a light on. He asked me how I was doing and I smiled and said I want my own commune so we could all live near each other. He smiled back at me and said, I know Ma, you should go to bed.

I crawled into bed next to my husband and snuggled close. And I fell asleep dreaming of my little community filled with all of my people.

The next morning we all had breakfast together, and then I watched as one by one they all left, going back to their homes, their lives.

And then I sat down and began to plan my commune.

Loretta Gavin is a writer and mother of two. She’s married to the author of “Online Dating Sucks … but it’s How I Fell in Love.” She’s also the subject of that book.