Dear Mike...

I was going to start off my note to you with a Mother-in-law joke. I looked them up, and they were all really mean, and made me nervous.

I am going to be your Mother-in-law. In 3 months. Randy has never had a mother-in-law as she died 2 years before we were married. My mother-in-law is the kind they write the nasty jokes about.

I don't want to be that kind...

Never having had this particular title before, I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to feel about the job. I'll just have to go with my gut. Here's the deal...

I think you're an amazing guy. I know we got off to a rocky start - I hope you can forgive me for that someday. You are Jenna's perfect match - you balance her. You make her happy. This makes me happy. It's pretty much that simple. I love the way you fit into our family - you are a wonderful big brother - the boys idolize you! You are mellow, easy going, a great sport - patient with our *gasping*! You are easy to love!

I know you have a mother - a wonderful one. I would never dream of taking her place - but it will be very easy to think of you as another one of my sons.

Since I am new to this job, I will most certainly, make mistakes. They will be unintentional, I promise. I hope you will trust my intentions enough, to let me know when I've overstepped my bounds, hurt your feelings, etc. I will always do the best I can to right my wrongs, if you'll let me know what they were!

Randy and I have never known what it was like to have parents who supported our marriage. We want to support yours. This means we will accept that you and Jenna are forming a new family. The two of you will create the rules and boundaries in this new family, and we will honor them. We will love your children - all of them - equally. We will not undermine your parenting, but hope to be a resource and support for them and for you. We will love having you visit and will love visiting you - but will do all we can to keep a balance, so you won't come to think of our time together as obligatory and annoying.

That's all for now - just know that when we're in the temple together in 90 days, and I'm teary, it will be because I'm so happy to be getting a son-in-law like you!