Walt's Christmas 09 a Family Affair

Children,some Grandchildren, and myself worked hard to give Walt the office of his dreams for Christmas.  After I was no longer going to the Health Department, I noticed he was meeting clients and suppliers at our home office.  When I asked why he did not meet them at his shop office, he said, "because our home office is nicer."  Of all my Walt's many talents, decorating and organizing is not one of them...at all.  Thus, the seed was planted to give him the office of his dreams, but keeping it a secret was the hard part.  Well, that and getting him out of the way to accomplish the task.  This is where the oldest grandsons came in.  They bugged, bugged, and bugged until they got a comitment to take them hunting a couple of days before Christmas.  He had bishopric Tuesday evening, then the boys took him hunting the next day, and we were able to get to work on our plans.  Considering all he previously had was a desk, an old office chair, one antalope head and four empty walls, I think we pulled it off.  Every thing we used as decor was of a personal significance to him.  We went through old pictures and found photos of four of his rigs.  We found some great photos a client had taken of him drilling their well several years ago.  These went by his desk.  We enlarged some of his favorite photos he had taken with his camera while on the mountain.  A bow his father made for him was hung below a statement we had done in vinyl lettering over his window.  Old snow shoes he has used in snow, the first bow he made, and arrows he made and got a buck with.  I very seldom see him get tears in his eyes, but when he saw it, he was touched.  At our big Christmas Eve home evening, he stood and thanked everyone and said it was the best gift he has ever received in his entire life!