A Rose By Any Other Name...And Great News!

I couldn't resist bragging about our roses this year.  Many of you may remember our visit to the International Rose Test Garden, while in Portland Oregon a few months ago and my pictures of some of their award winners.  Well I have to say that our roses this year are just as beautiful (in my opinion only) and smell good besides!

Rose Garden Rose!

Our Rose!

Well enough about roses.  The real exciting news came last evening while we were Skyping with Stephanie.  When Steph and Randy got married three years ago and then moved to Oregon, we found out that they would only be spending every third Christmas with us, because they would spend one year with Randy's Dad, one year with Randy's Mom and the third year with us. :-( Well I don't specifically remember making that agreement, but anyway, that's the way it has worked.  

So Steph and Randy were with us last year and Tracy and I were sad to think that we wouldn't be seeing them for Christmas for two more years (remember the rotation above), but Stephanie surprised us and said she will be joining us this year for Christmas!!!

Seems that Randy's Mom wants to celebrate on the weekend following Christmas, when everyone was going to be available, so Steph will arrive on 12/23 and head back 12/27.  We couldn't be more excited! We are sad that Randy won't be able to join us because of work, but it will be so great to have at least one of them with us for the big day.

So we will be busy getting ready for what I know will be a wonderful Christmas this year, with both Sarah and Stephanie at home.  I got so excited that I already set up the Christmas Tree, much to my wife and daughter's dismay, but we will be busy, busy, busy over the next six weeks, so there is no time to waste.  

I hope you have some exciting plans for the holidays and thanks for stopping by for a visit!