Lately, I have been wondering if it isn't time for me to take my husband's last name, in the traditional manner of matrimony. The only reason this issue comes up is when more distant relatives or friends send us checks for special occasions, and I have to explain to my bank why the checks are written to "me" with another last name. Even after 7 years of marriage, a marriage announcement with clearly printed separate last names, and years of return addresses with both of our last names on them, I think some older relatives may have simply chosen to ignore our less traditional method of name taking. What other explanation could there be ?? Even so, I made sure to include my last name as our first son's middle name, so that my father's name is passed on into our ever expanding family tree. Our second son has the same middle name as his grandfather's on the other side of the family, and so it goes.

Names....they really don't matter in the end, now do they.