I wish I could go to your ring ceremony, Brook, but please know I am sending love and my best wishes to you on your special day.

Beki and Sibyl, I couldn't have better sisters -- not possible. I miss you both so much.

Lord, shield the joyous from harm and dismay. 

In your invitation to the ring ceremony and reception was a card with an RSVP web address, but near as my unoffical poll can tell, everyone I'm related to lost it immediately. The open house in Utah is December 10th. The ring ceremony and reception is December 12, in Laramie at the Holiday Inn and I'd love to hear you all are coming. You can RSVP with a comment here or to Brook at brookisgettingmarried@yahoo.com

And it is fun! I may have to come in this weekend and do actual work. This computer outclasses my office so much, I may even clean and redecorate!

And Brook has all the wedding plans down and invites went out this week. Remember, we'd love for you to come to the reception and ring ceremony in Laramie, Saturday December 12. If you are looking for hotel rooms, please book at the Holiday Inn under the block for the Brauer Wardell wedding. If the cost is a factor call me. I have some space at the house, but not for enough for everyone. It will be fun. Everything is nailed down but my dress! Help! Ben, Alexandra and I are shopping this weekend. Brook wants formal and modest, Ben and George want me to flash some leg. I wonder if there isn't a good reason i've avoided a formal gown for my whole life. Sibyl, where did you find yours?

Also, I'm willing to cook for Thanksgiving, but if you have to choose Thanksgiving or the wedding, choose the wedding. Really, it's once in Brook's lifetime and mine, and we all know I'm not that great a cook anyway.

And another big project. Albany county voters will vote on a special projects tax this spring and the public library is poised to be on the ballot for a brand new library. We've had library consultants working on a services, collection and building evaluation and the recommendation my board voted on last night is for a new library. I now have to practice saying 16 million dollars with a straight face in several county worksessions and public meetings.

I am MUCH too busy planning for the claims system cutover.  I've also been dating Bill the Boggling Banker.  (You are going to LOVE him, Internet).  I play on the winningest Tuesday Trivia team ever (GO TINY TANKS!).

In my spare time, I've been helping Sally de-smellify the Victorian.  We've been scrubbing walls and ripping up carpet.  We're about to put in some laminate flooring and paint the family room.  Who needs Italy when there's so much work to do?

I do :o(

George and I had a good camping trip. We went to the Platte River Wilderness area and hid out from the crazy wind and cold weather that Laramie had for the weekend. Our camper was comfy and fun. It's pretty easy to set up, and it has a heater, so its warm.  We hiked along the Platte river and George showed me some archeological sites, a hearth where they found pottery, and tipi rings. The camper has a great propane stove, you can use inside or outside, so we cooked steaks, drank wine and played house. I count George as one of my greatest blessings. I'm a lucky girl.

Ben is home from his travels and job hunting. George's Birthday is Saturday, but he'll be gone hunting. We're going to celebrate Wednesday, Malisa will bake a cake, I'll make lasagna.

Wedding plans are craziness! They are still planning the reception in Laramie December 12, but they've changed the Temple plans a few times. They've decide on a temple in the Salt Lake valley, so his family can particpate. But which temple they can schedule is still up in the air. I really hope you can all make it to Laramie for the reception. Invitations will be out in a week or two. 

I was supposed to leave for Italy this coming Monday.  My friends are making preparations to go without me.  I am depressed over the whole thing. I hope I get another chance to travel to Europe someday.

Things are going well at work. It's scary to think that in less than a month, this thing we've built will be handling 90% of the transactions for the whole company.

I've been chatting with Scotty online.  He sends his love and would like to get letters.  If you don't remember his address, email me and I will send it to you.  If you want to chat with him, he's sometimes on FB about 10-11 PM mountain time.

Sally made us a fabulous new banner.  Does she get us, or what?

My heart has been up in my throat all week for Lisa and Kevin. Baby Keegan had a terrible injuryand more surgery, but he came home on Sunday. Home to Lisa and Kevin's with his sister Dionna. In just one short week Lisa and Kevin went from footloose and fancy free empty nesters -  both gainfully employed, to foster parents of their beautiful granchildren. Lisa gave up her job for all the care little Keegan is going to need. I pray for their strength an thank God that they are there for those kids. That's the big drama.

Sibyl leased a beautiful victorian house in her favorite neighborhood with her best friend Sally, three beautiful daughters and three dogs. The only hang up is that landlord/friend Beau seems unmotivated to vacate the house or remove the stuff that is already there. That's the 1970s three's company drama.

Josh and Nikki just came bck from Colorado Springs and a beyond your wildest dreams job interview and offer. They are not just moving, they are moving on up! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they get the pretty house they fell in love with and their house in Casper sells. That's the happy ending hallmark movie drama.

As for me and George, we went to the Snowy Range Music Festival, jammed out to great blues, and got embarassingly drunk, which can be even more embarrassing when you're a professor in a college town and probably boogied near the stage in front of a few hundred students. We had different house guests every night of the holiday weekend. I'm like the comedy central drama with beer in the title. And just because Drama starts with D, this decade old laptop keyboard is giving up the letter D. Hopefully the drama is nearing an end and I won't need that letter anyway.

Invitations will be out in a few weeks!