Things That Made Me Happy This Week - Aug 16 2009

• Spending the whole day with my guy on Saturday - work free!
• Finding (and loving) Gruxy's new vet
• Watermelon
• Another great session with Gruxy's wonderful trainer, Erika (that's her in the picture above)
• Dinner and DVDs with Julie (that's her with the boy in the picture below)
• Learning of Kelli Campellone's Best of RI Editor's Choice Award
• A very sweet email from Bob's mom
• Plaid and Stripe pet shop in Providence

Gruxy's a ladies man. It's true... he has two girlfriends. I didn't know how to tell them about each other, so I thought maybe if I just posted the pictures here they'd put two and two together. I'm sorry ladies... he's kind of a player.

Just a few mushy moments here, if you don't mind indulging me...

3 1/2 years ago when I met Bob, I was a somewhat traumatized soul when it comes to mothers-in-law. Not that I'd been married a bunch of times, but former boyfriends did have mothers and let's just say... the relationships were a bit of a challenge. The one that stands out the most was a very judgmental, intrusive woman who just saw life completely differently than I did. We just didn't see eye to eye. It made life difficult and once the relationship was over, I was left feeling a bit... well, traumatized.

Bob kept telling me his mother was different, she was so great... non judgmental, open, loving, supportive, not intrusive... of course I thought to myself "sure, they all think their mothers are perfect". I was not ready to meet her, though he wanted me to fairly quickly. I met her a couple of months after we met...

From the moment I met Laura, and every moment since, she has been open, kind, warm, supportive... all the things Bob said she was. She never misses an opportunity to tell me how happy she is that Bob met me, and to thank me for making him so happy. The email she sent me this week is not unusual... I've received many emails like it from Laura over the past few years. I feel like the lucky one... I'm marrying into a wonderful family. Laura's best friend Lisa is a big part of our lives as well, and she's every bit as loving and supportive. And Bob's brother Justin... basically a younger version of Bob. A great guy, and a great brother to Bob.

In just over a month, I will marry the man of my dreams. There are times when I wish we had met earlier in life, so that we could have more time together, but then I realize that if we had met earlier, we may not appreciate what we have. And I'm so thankful for what we have.