To my family and friends, thanks.

For asking me to play with you. For asking me to help ensure the dinner table is full of food all night. For asking if your friend can come for dinner, too. For saying yes when asked if yet another friend could come for dinner. For bouncing on my knee and giggling uncontrollably. For asking me to put you to bed, read you a book and kiss you good night.

For wanting to come back to the cabin with me instead of hanging out with your friend. For holding my hand. For dancing and laughing outside on the deck (we really should do that more often.) For speaking french and not once correcting me this weekend when I tried to speak french too.

For not getting upset when I threw your brother on top of you after you were already asleep. For asking me to sit between both of you on the love seat. And then saying you miss my squishy warmth when I moved. For being honest about the homemade blackberry port. For taking your niece for a long, long walk on the beach. I love that you love doing that. For rescuing the crabs and putting them in a bigger home. They were squished too.

For letting me borrow your hot pink wig and feather boa. And not getting worried when I put on your teeny, tiny dress up shoes. (Thank god I didn't break them!) For finding feathers all weekend long and passing them to me as a reminder of how much fun it is to dress up with the girls. For bouncing on the couch. For saying nicely that in your house we don't bounce on couches, recognizing that in our house it's okay.

For sharing your potatoes and peas, pumpkin pie and pinot noir. For fixing the slinky, and then fixing it again and again. And again.

For dressing up. For not dressing at all. (Baby bums are so cute!)

For the toast. Amen. For going golfing so I can have fun with the kids by myself.

For saying you will miss me when I am gone in such a sweet, sweet sad voice. (No you don't have to get on a plane to France to see me and yes, I will see you in just a few short weeks when you come to visit me in my home.)

For the company. All 21 of us.

Thanks.