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Tammy loves butterscotch. That's one thing I learned tonight when Mom and I had dinner with Tammy, David, D.J. and Dakota. The other thing I learned was that Tammy and David are getting married in January.
It's not going to come as a shock to anyone who's seen them together during the three and a half months they've known each other. Three and a half months! And yet there isn't any doubt that the relationship is solid enough to withstand the pressures of marriage, or that the two people involved are totally committed to each other.
I love this little instant family. I love that D.J. wants to tell me everything that's on his mind, and that he calls me "my Uncle Mike." I love that Dakota is talking more and more and that he knows I'll catch him when he jumps off the chair and into my arms. And that he's obsessed with elephants.
And I love seeing my nephew, who has grown up from a smart, funny little kid into a caring, confident man, find something as special as a loving relationship with a wonderful woman who is also a beautiful, thoughtful person. I'm happy for them, and I told them so. What I didn't tell them is that I'm happy for me, too, because I have three more people in my family and in my life, people who love me and whom I love.
Their story isn't mine to tell. They're young, and they're taking a giant step into the unknown. But they're not going into it thoughtlessly, and they're definitely not going into it without a lot of people they can count on to give them whatever help or advice they ask for. I'm proud to count myself among those who are pulling for them and who would do whatever I could for them. | 
