I just love birthdays! Even though I'm not in as much of a hurry for mine to come along as maybe when I was 9 or 10, I still do love them. So.....in honor of my 42nd birthday I'm going to share a list of "42 qualities I love about myself" . JUST KIDDING!

So what does the photo above have to do with my birthday? This charming little Bavarian village east of the mountains is where we'll be spending the weekend. The only item on my wish list this year was a sports-free weekend away with my whole family. Leavenworth is one of my most favorite places. You really do feel like you've been transplanted to the land of von Trapps and Maria will soon be running down the hills which will be "alive with the Sound of Music". This actually does happen in the summer ampitheater production but that's for a different post. This quaint town is also somewhere I have dreamed of having a second home. One of those gorgeous log cabins replete with a floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace, a hot tub on the deck, overlooking the river of course and a 12 person dining table. Hey, if you're gonna dream, dream big. But for now I will settle for a two-night stay in a "Kamping Kabin" at the local KOA with a kitchenette (what exactly does that mean??) and outdoor fire pit. The last piece of advice on the website, after they describe the "kabin" as a palace, is: don't forget to bring your own linens.

I can't wait to be with those I love in a place I love on a day I love. Pictures on the next post.