My family is expanding

No - I am not pregnant!  Ha ha, just had to get that over with.  

As many of you know, my mom is engaged to Charlie, a man that has been in our lives for the last 5 years.  I have to admit - we have gone through a few rough patches over those years.  There have been days when I REALLY didn't like him.  Days when I wished he would just disappear out of our lives.  

I am thrilled to say that those days are over.  I find myself more and more fond of him every single day.  I am proud to say that he has been a changed man for a little more than 2 years now and I have grown to love him in these past 2 years.  He has been a support for me during hard times.  He has opened my eyes to new ways of viewing the world.  He has taught me things after I thought I would no longer have a dad to teach them to me.  He has filled a void that I longed for for many, many years.  

I haven't always told him how much I appreciate him (I guess he knows now, because I'm sure my mom will let him read this post...lol), but I do.  I appreciate him letting us invade his house at all hours.  I appreciate him listening to me ramble about my life.  I appreciate him being a Grandpa for my kids.  I appreciate the days when we cook out, and the days when we play Rock Band.  Mostly, I appreciate him loving my mom.  My heart leaps with joy when she calls me to say that her day was made because he sent her a sweet email, or when I hear them joking on the phone together.  I have seen my mom at the lowest of lows and I never want to see her there again.  That's why I'm glad that they have learned to appreciate each other and respect each other's differences.    

As they talk more in detail about their upcoming summer wedding, I get more and more anxious to have him in our lives forever.  I am excited about getting to know my new step-sisters better.  I'm can't wait for us to have huge family gatherings with 2 parents, 5 daughters, 1 son, and 2 grandkids.  

I'm excited about our future as a family together...