Lu's parents are in town! (Yep, FIL stands for future-in-laws -- kinda long to write out more than a few times.)

They got in yesterday and will be staying ten days, which originally seemed great. Then we started to wonder, how the heck were we going to keep them entertained for that long?

This is a busy week between Lu's dad's birthday, Lu's birthday, our couples bridal shower, and Lu's move.  That takes care of several days/evenings. Then we were thinking of taking them to a few museums around the area, doing some outlet shopping, and...???



Lucky for us, Lu's parents also had some ideas of what they wanted to do: a day trip to Canada, an overnight visit to one of the beaches on Lake Michigan, and dinner with Lu's cousins.  Now we're wondering if we'll have enough time to fit in everything.

The week's definitely going to fly by, but I know that we're going to have a great time.

I know that some of you are wondering how I feel about spending so much time with my FILs, and I'm actually really excited about it. Lu's parents have raised a terrific son, and I'm looking forward to being their new daughter.

Lu's family has welcomed me (and Maggie) with open arms. We've spent time together several times in the last few years, including staying two weeks at his house over Christmas. They totally surprised us with a dog bed, new bowls, and treats for their "first grandchild."

On the reverse, Lu also looks forward to spending time with my family whenever we go to Maryland or they visit Michigan. We always have a great time, and it really touches me that my family looks at Lu like he already belongs -- even if my 14-year-old nephew is still undecided about whether he'll call Lu "uncle."



Both of us have heard the horror stories about in-laws, and we're truly blessed to not have that experience. Granted, it's not like we're holding hands and singing "Kumbaya" together. Lu's mom has definitely voiced her opinion when she thinks we're being spoiled, my mom will definitely say something if we're acting selfish, and Lu and I don't always agree with and/or follow our parents advice (or tell them everything in the first place).

However, I think that's what makes the relationship dynamics work. Our parents have loved and protected us for a quarter of a century. Whether we're children and disobeying, teenagers and rebelling, or adults and leaving the nest to start our own family: they want us to be happy.

We are going to make mistakes, and the point is not to say, "I told you so" or to argue. It's to guide us and be there.  It's not about me "taking Lu away" or about him making me "abandon my family's needs" for his. We'll always need our families, and honestly, they'll always need us, too.