Excerpts from my Valentine letter....... Our year in review.........

Happy Valentines Day to you!

I thought I would share some of the highlights of our annual V-day letter in today's blog. Practicing what I preach (to my sixteen y/o) our identity has been protected to keep internet stalkers at bay.

........ The other thing that we (_____ and I) did last summer to get some quality time together, was audition for "The Amazing Race." For some reason (that anyone that watches our audition tape can't understand) we didn't get picked, but had a fabulous time staying up ALL night laughing and talking. It was like a giant slumber party with strangers.

........... Okay! Maybe buff isn't the right word, but if one looks really close, at just the right angle, when I am in just the right position, one will see SOME muscle definition. Hey! It's only the second month of the year....I've got ten more to work at it. This would be a good place to say (again) that all of these great changes of mine would not be possible without the support of _____(my husband). He has been very supportive, taking over the care and feeding of our residents while I go for long runs, trainer visits, and get the needed extra sleep as I increase my mileage.

......... Speaking of our residents...... Last November we got another gentleman, who is one of the most gentle spirits I have ever met. We love having him as part of our family, but _____ and _____ (our dogs for those of you that may have forgotten who ______ and ______ are) really, really, REALLY, love having him with us. He lets them sit on him WHENEVER they want to, and sneaks (or tries to..... we are on to him) them snacks at the table. We have come up with a win, win solution...... Once he (our resident) eats his food, he gets treats to feed the dogs.

...........Last May, _____'s (husband) mom passed away, and I can't begin to tell you how much I (we) all miss her. I am motherless once again.......We are very grateful to Hospice for their assistance in getting her home, and _____ and I had the honor of being with her at the end. I told ____ that I feel it was very special that she was with him for his first breath, and he was able to be with her for her last. The circle of life continues, and _____ became a grandfather a short time ago.......

....... _____(husband) continues to commute to ______ for his "day job." He also continues to take a yoga class, and does a better downward dog than me! He has stronger shoulders, but I kick his butt when it comes to holding plank pose..... I never thought I was a competitive person, but I am learning a whole lot about myself these days.

........ Hello! This is my first time writing my own part of our Valentine letter (Two full years before mom made the other kids write their own!) Not much has been going on.......... Last summer, I decided that rather than getting a "real" job, (What do I need to make my own money for, I have bank of mom and ______.) I would do volunteer work. I worked as a volunteen at a day camp for kids........... I (now) have my first boyfriend. I enjoy all the perks that come along with that. (Like having my dinner AND the movie paid for...... mom taught me well, date someone with a job.)........... The big 16 rolled around last April as well. The freedom of driving is quite a pleasure. Not to say this freedom came without it's share of mishapes. Within my first two weeks of driving I received two tickets. First while attempting to get un-lost, I ended up on a one-way street. This little lesson taught me to pay closer attention to road signs. The following week the car in front of me stopped (IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION) as the light turned yellow. Needless to say, I didn't..... that is until my front end kissed his rear end. From this experience I learned the value of knowing how to fix your own car (and the value of keeping an eye out for crazy drivers on the road.) Since learning these back to back lessons (the hard way), I have been driving trouble free. For some reason though, mom continues to insist on driving whenever we go somewhere together! Well, I guess I will say goodbye until next year.

........Another year has gone by, and here I am telling you how my year went. Well, I haven't been fired yet, so I guess my year has gone very well. I don't really do much outside of work, except sleep of course........... One thing I learned this year, is the value of a dollar. Besides saving up for a house, I have saved enough money to go on a cruise to the Bahamas. This will be my first time outside the united States, and I continue to wait for my passport to arrive. I ordered it in plenty of time, but it was sent to my old address, and has been lost evey since. I am trying to focus on how much fun I will have on the cruise instead of what I will do if it does not arrive in time.......... I will be turning twenty-five this March. (If any of you are already feeling old, that wasn't meant to rub salt in your wounds.) That pretty much highlights the past year of my life, so until next year this is _______ saying Happy New Year, and take care.

........Hi Everyone- I did not think any year could go by faster than 2004, but I was wrong. The past year for me included traveling 2-3 times a month for work, and that really makes the weeks "fly" by (pun intended....hee-hee!) Anyways, I didn't get to too many cool places, but did spend some time at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I had a free weekend to kill out there, so I took some time to go Rappelling (basically strapping yourself in a harness and free-falling down a mountain), and splunking (crawling through a maze of underground caverns and tunnels.)......... In December, I received a promotion and am now working as an ________. This is a huge change for me, mostly because I don't have to travel anymore. And just when I got to Gold status with my frequent flyer miles! This is my first experience in a management-type position and so far it is going great. I have also applied to grad school (keep your fingers crossed that I get in), and have been doing a lot of volunteer work in preparation for the (grad shcool) program. Well, everyone be safe and have a great 2006!

In addition to our fun informative letter, I found the perfect valentine card for my husband. On the front of it it says "A VALENTINE BUTTON FOR MY HUSBAND Today's a good time to let the world know how you feel about me......" The button reads "I'd be lost without my wife", and the inside of the card says "You can also wear it when we go driving together." Isn't that the best? My husband left for work this morning proudly sporting his new button.......... Because I told him I would be checking with the girls in his office to make sure he wore it today. What a special kind valentine I have! I am a lucky lucky woman indeed, and will be counting my blessings all day long! Enjoy your (Valentine's) day!