MTV’s most iconic duo! Jenelle Evans is turning over a new leaf with her mom, Barbara Evans, since gaining custody of her 13-year-old son, Jace, earlier this year.
“It’s nice when we can all get along 💐❤️ #HappyMothersDay,” the Teen Mom 2 alum, 31, wrote via Instagram on Monday, May 15, alongside a series of photos from her family’s Mother’s Day get-together.
The first snap included the majority of Jenelle and husband David Eason’s blended family: Eason’s daughter Maryssa, 15, whom he shares with ex-wife Whitney Johnson, Jace, whom Jenelle shared with ex Andrew Lewis, son Kaiser, 8, whom Jenelle shares with ex Nathan Griffith, and Jenelle and Eason’s daughter Ensley, 6. (Eason is also father to son Kaden, 9, with ex Olivia Leedham.) Barbara, for her part, stood in front of Jace, who put his arm around his grandmother. The group all smiled for the camera as they posed in front of a waterway.
The second picture featured just Jenelle, Eason and their children, while the third had the former MTV personality posing with her three little ones. Jenelle also shared solo shots of herself while out to eat with her family, as well as one picture of her and her eldest, whom she regained custody of earlier this year, Us Weekly exclusively revealed at the time. (Barbara had been Jace’s primary guardian since he was a baby.)
Throughout her time on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom 2, Jenelle and her mom have had their fair share of drama over the years, particularly when it concerned custody of Jace. In March, however, the Read Between the Lines author exclusively told Us that she and Barbara worked things out and transferred custody to Jenelle.
“My mom and I decided together to grant full custody back to me because we want to build our relationship back as mother and daughter,” Jenelle exclusively told Us in a statement at the time. “Also, my mother agrees it’s time for Jace to be back with his siblings and living with a mother and father.”
While Barbara had been caring for her grandson his entire life, her daughter told Us that her mom had given her blessing for the teenager to live with Jenelle and her husband, 34.
“She also thinks it’s important for Jace to be around a father figure to learn ‘boy things’ and have ‘men talk.’ She has seen the way David parents my children and she knows we’re able to handle it,” the North Carolina native explained of the decision. “We want to all get along for the sake of the children and like I said before, building back our relationship as mother and daughter. We have officially signed the papers on Thursday, March 16th at the courthouse, it’s a done deal!”
In addition to strengthening her bond with Jace, Jenelle confessed to E! News that while she and her mom have also been working on improving their dynamic, it’s still difficult sometimes.
“My relationship with my mother has [gotten] a little better, but truthfully she is still a little controlling,” she told the outlet in late March. “I think it’s going to take time for her to get used to this change.”
