Ah, yeah, 5 years later, it's still the same. I'm in the middle while Mike says something and my mom says something and I am always trying to stay neutral and say, "I'm not involved." I just hope this isn't forever. I'm moving out in about a month to live with Mike at our house that we are currently updating/working on. BY the way, that's going very well. We are pretty excited about it. I'm very confident with him. Love him like crazy, etc. But the thing is, it seems like that lately I'm nervous about how my parents will handle it. I am thinking, hopefully my mom will realize that Mike is serious and he loves me, etc. We talk rings, marriage, kids... but they don't believe him for a second because we've been dating for 5 years, haven't married yet, and thinks that it will never happen. It's as if, they laugh and think, "Oh c'mon, really? When has he ever showed you a real commitment?" I know, he and my parents will probably always clash, SHARE their thoughts/opinions with me (separately), but wish it won't be that way. I feel like, when that day comes to say, I'm engaged. I will probably hesitate. I don't know. Just this evening, my mom tells me she thinks I need to lease a car rather than let Mike help me pick out a car I want. I want to get a older Jeep, Mike knows how to fix & work on it. Mom thinks, it's a really bad idea. She thinks Mike isn't reliable because he "doesn't have time to work on things" but to me, I know him. I know he will fix things when he has time to, especially on jeeps & cars - it's one of his hobbies/areas that he's VERY good at. He's very good with what he does. Mom scoffs at me and says "Oh 'c'mon, you know he'll never." Just seems like, they have zero faith in whatever it is when it includes Mike and I. Oh well. It just drives me insane. I feel like sometimes, I have to let her win and just "agree".. while I feel like I am being pulled apart by both of them. (You know, pick me! pick me! I'm dating you. I'm your mother. That sort of thing?)

Has anyone ever gone through anything like this?