Friend: Barack and Michelle Obama "Have Grown Closer" Through the Election

Michelle -- whom he called "the rock of our family and the love of my life" in his acceptance speech Tuesday -- wasn't always wild about her husband's political aspirations, former colleague Denny Jacobs tells Us Weekly.

"Did she like the fact that he was away from his children [Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7] so much? No," Jacobs tells Us. "He enjoys all this much more."

Check out Barack Obama's family album.

But as Barack's promise of becoming president grew, so did his wife's faith in him. Michelle, the former breadwinner in the family, left her $273,618-a-year job as VP at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

"From the very moment I met Barack, he wanted to change the world and make a difference," friend Yvonne Davila tells Us Weekly. "And Michelle made sure it happened because she believed in him and loves him."

Look back at Michelle Obama's chic style on the campaign trail.

Now as the Obama family gears up for a move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are determined to keep their family bond strong.

Says former colleague Paul Schmitz, ""They're a real family unit - you can't fake that."

See Barack Obama's baby photo.

For more on how they are preparing for the White House -- including how they overcame a rocky start during the beginning of the start of his political career, how the campaign drew them closer together and how they are preparing the girls for the White House -- pick up the new issue of Us Weekly (out Friday).

DISCLAIMER: This posting was submitted by a user of the site not from The Insider editorial staff. All users have acknowledged and agreed that the submission of their story and its contents is in compliance with our Terms of Use.