M's folks

And here are: the people who raised my amazing husband...T&S. This picture is from a trip to Montana that they very generously invited us to tag along on. It's possible that I may have set foot in Montana once when I was six months old or so...but if that's the case, I don't remember it. I have wanted to go for years in my adult life, and it was everything I'd imagined....the last of the wild, wild West. Beautiful! We stayed at the historic Gallatin Lodge (once a very swanky train station resort) in Gallatin Gateway. Stunning ranch country, gorgeous fishing rivers...just a wonderful time all around.

Here they are on New Year's Eve of 2008...I have to credit my sister-in-law for these shots, which she took with my camera. Priceless.
I have to take a moment here to give these two people a great deal of credit for raising three wonderful children, and most of all for raising the man I love so very much.
I don't know exactly what it was that they did so right (well, I have a couple of ideas), but whatever they did, they succeeded in raising a man of ethics and a man of honor, a man of unshakable honesty, a man with a big heart, an inquisitive mind and a tremendous love of life.
Can you tell I'm feeling a bit sappy these days, and more than a bit grateful for what (or rather whom) I have in this word? Well, I won't say this is rare...I have felt incredibly blessed in my life for the past five or six years, and I haven't often taken it for granted. But to add to that, we have been through some trying times in recent weeks - times that might have strained a marriage less strong than ours - and the fact that these times have only strengthened our bonds, the fact that - rather than becoming irritated with one another - we have been able to take comfort and strength and even happiness and laughter from one another at times like these...well, I think that speaks for itself. We are very, very fortunate in what we have.
I hope I won't ever take it for granted.