Young widow Carrie Lewellyn has a successful cookies business and four kids: Moira, Andrew, little Nathan and little Daisy. Widower Jim Barber, a furniture maker, also has four: Sandy, Jeff, Andrew and Lily, plus a dog, Java. On their first weekend trip to Vegas together, they get married in the casino church. When they get back both their kids find out by magazines and TV. To try to merge the families before they move into one house, the families meet for a picnic. They both realize how hard everything will be now. Jim's family has a dog but Carrie's son Andrew is allergic. Jim's house is too small, and if they move into Carrie's they will be outsiders, but if they all move into a new house everyone would be uprooted. Moving day is a challenge as the Barbers move into Carrie's house, with Jim's eldest daughter, Sandy, being cold to Carrie. Andrew B. and Moira surprise everyone when they are found kissing in the back yard. To try to bring them together they have a hooky day. They go bowling, boys vs. girls. The girls win thanks to Carrie distracting Jim. When they do not fight, the kids try to play the parents against each other, which puts their marriage under pressure.
