Shannon. Isn't a great feeling?? Knowing you can provide for you family!? This is a great little community....everyone has been a great help to each other. Grab a cup of tea/coffee...and enjoy!
We all welcome you to SSF. We're here to help each other in exactly the things you have mentioned.
If your respective famlies STILL do not GET IT about what you are doing, you may want to suggest one of Aesop's Fables to them called: "The Ant and the Grasshopper".
If they can understand that one, they will finally "GET IT".
You have joined a group of folks whose ambition is for individual freedom and peace in their lives. It sounds like you are expressing success in that regard.
I believe you will find others here with the same intentions. Yes, we do "disagree" from time to time, but then who doesn't?
I'm sure you will like it here. The time is short now. We need to be able to take care of ourselves. All of us here are working toward that goal in one way or another.