I love this little picture. It sits on my desk and I can look at it every day. It is a reminder of the love that I have for my family and the love that they have for each other. Aren't these little ones amazing???

Today is another banner birthday for our family; our Bryan is turning the BIG 30 today! He is such a blessing to all of us and we are grateful that he joined our family 10 years ago. YIKES I can hardly believe that he and Patti will be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in July.

I know that I mentioned my elk hunting experience in a previous blog but one of the things that I didn't mention was the fact that on the first hunt Bryan was with us. I don't know what I would have done without him. When I hurt my back in the Jeep accident he carried my gun because I was in so much pain it hurt me to carry it. He also helped me down the steep and slick mountain and made sure that I was okay. Of course this could have been the perfect time to "get rid" of the mother-in-law, but gratefully we have a good relationship and I count Bryan as one of my own. He is an amazing man, a wonderful father, and a great husband. Thanks Bryan for all you have brought to the family. We love you!

Last night I had the opportunity to put together our neighbor gifts and get them ready to deliver this weekend. The great part about this whole experience was the fact that I had two of my daughters and my sister-in-law Elizabeth there helping to put together this wonderful treat. We talked and laughed and worked together - it was so much fun. One of the things that I appreciate most about Liz is that she is a hard worker and she doesn't leave until the last dish is washed and the last counter is wiped down. We have worked together on a number of weddings and I would always feel lucky to have her there - it always makes the load lighter for the rest of us. She is always the first to volunteer to wash dishes on Thanksgiving or Christmas and we have spent many wonderful hours laughing and working together.

We did have one funny mishap - we were cooling the chocolate on the back porch and Kelli let her dog Savannah out - well...Savannah thought that those treats looked pretty good so she jumped up to check them out and dumped a whole trayful of treats all over the back porch. We were so close to being done it was crazy and we felt bad that we had to start one more tray. Of course Savannah got a little treat for her effort and then was banned to the dog kennel until the preparations were over.

We ended the evening with the table being weighed down by the bountiful treats. They sparkled in their cellophane and ribbon. It was a job well done and a relief to have completed. Now we can take them to our neighbors and spread a little Christmas cheer.