It's hard to beleive Christmas will be here in less than 3 weeks. We picked out our tree, as we do each year, the day after Thanksgiving. The bigger the better...we have vaulted ceilings in the living room. It's decorated along with the rest of the house. Dan has the Christmas Light bug something aweful...he buys more lights and puts them up every weekend. Michael and I love them, though. Speaking of Michael, he has started reading. He tries to sound out everything he sees and wants to know how to spell everything. I'm pretty sure that Dan and I will earn another HS diploma in the next 12 years...Lord help us...the first ones didn't exactly come easy. We have recently aquired a new dog. He is wonderful and has such a great spirit. He is so very loyal and is great with the whole family...except kitty. They have a schedule of who is in charge of the house and when. Basically, if the dog (Banjo) is outside or asleep, kitty roams freely. If dog is inside, kitty stays on top of the kitchen cabinets. It's working for now. I don't see them ever becoming friends. Dan has been home for awhile now, so we are enjoying him not having to travel as often. I've registered for the Little Rock marathon in March, so all of my free time is spent running. I have an awesome new friend that challenges me in running and biking, so she has really kept me on top of the fitness stuff. It would be nice to lose a pound or two after running 14 miles on the weekends, but whatever...I'm shaped like I'm shaped and I accepted it (for the most part). I've been reading a blog the last few days about a family and their little girls battle with cancer (she's the same age as Michael). She's gone on to be with her Maker as of this morning. This has remided me to be thankful...always!