Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's a new year. I guess I'm pragmatic enough to think that really it seems like any other day. We did have a good "last day of 2004", though. We went with Mom and Dad and all the boys to the Udvar-Hazy Annex of the Air and Space Museum. It is "free", although parking is $12 a car, which seemed quite steep. They are also amazingly diligent about enforcing the "no food, no gum" rule. I had to take my ziploc baggie of Teddy Grahams that I always keep in the diaper bag back out to the car or else throw them away because they wouldn't let me take them into the museum (even if I never opened my diaper bag)! Good grief. The museum was nice. It's very tall, with airplanes hanging from the ceiling at various levels, as well as on the floor, and there are catwalks so you can get up high and see the ones up there. I must say, however, that if you have ever been to the National Museum of the Air Force (used to be called the Air Force Museum) at Wright-Patterson AFB, in Dayton, Ohio, then you would not be very impressed with this one. The Air Force Museum is bigger, has a lot more aircrafts and better displays, has more of a cohesive flow to the displays, and, best of all, is completely free! Jonathan was really cute yesterday. He was so excited about seeing all the airplanes, especially the ones high overhead, and he just pointed and babbled the whole time.

Last night we went over to the Lorenzinis' house for a New Year's Eve party. It was like a big Wright-Patterson reunion! The Silvers, Does, Butlers, and Nowacks were all there, as well as 2 couples from our current OCF Bible study. It was so much fun to see all these old friends again. Mom and Dad had a great time visiting with everyone. Zachary organized a big game tournament in the basement for the kids which is still being talked about today. Anthony and I kept quiet at the puzzle table. We were working on a picture of Falcon Stadium during an Air Force/Army game (one where Air Force was winning--obviously in a better season than then past one!) We gave this puzzle to them several Christmases ago, and Ed said they found all of us with a magnifying glass. I believe it, since we were faithful game attenders during our time out there, and we always sat in the same section! When I was buying the puzzle, I thought I could see the Lorenzinis' big red van way far away in the parking lot, giving hope that maybe we really were in the picture! Puzzles are a great relaxer for me, and as Melinda reminds me, they help ward off Alzheimers! Anyhow, at 9:00, we all came together and counted down the New Year (helping those in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean celebrate). The Lorenzinis had gotten all sorts of noisemakers and other goodies at the party store, so we had a great time loudly making a mess in their dining area, although Jonathan was quite scared and cried very loudly. We stayed until around 10:30, not quite midnight, but still a very late night for the boys. We have paid the price for that today, and Caleb and Jonathan are both napping as I write. Hopefully tonight will be less whiny around here. The other boys (including Bob) are outside playing football. It is an incredibly nice sunny day with a high in the upper 60's! What a great way to welcome in the new year!