On Thursday morning, a very heavy paper will land on your doorstep, our annual Progress edition.

Every year, I'm amazed at what this community, its business and its people, have accomplished. This year is no exception. No wonder I'm tired, it's been a very busy year!

In Thursday's paper we'll also be announcing the 2007 Citizen of the Year. There is no shortage of folks who give their all to help those around them. And every year I'm happy that it's the former Citizens, and not me, who make the tough selection of who will join their ranks.

We'll be honoring this year's Citizen at a reception Thursday from 4:30 -- 6:30 at the Clay County Regional Events Center. There will be a short program at 5:30, and everyone is invited to come and recognize the achievements of this year's honoree.

It was tough to set a date set for publication of the Progress edition, and for the Citizen of the Year reception. With an early Easter, a full slate of events at the Events Center, and a winter that has seemed to be endless, we'll be into April before we make the announcement.

I'm hoping that our Progress edition also is a harbinger of progress on the spring front!

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It's been a while since we've had a baby in the house, and I've almost forgotten the challenges of juggling the needs of a little one, babysitters and those added pressures.

After all, my little one is now 14, and hasn't needed that kind of attention in quite a while.

Well, it took a puppy to remind me quickly that we're not quite so footloose and fancy free as we used to be.

Since Duke, a three month old black lab, joined our household, it's been clear just whose needs come first.

Drew's been up before the dawn to spend quality time with the little one, to give him a good run and get him breakfast. After school, it's more of the same, along with teaching Duke those lessons that good hunting dogs need to know.

And, I've found that you're bound to stay closer to home when you've got a little one. We cut short a planned overnight trip this weekend, and hurried home from the one-day excursion to Ames for the state science fair, so we could attend to the little one's needs.

I'm thinking a goldfish may have been a better idea.