Sending 2005 Out with a Bang! (Bang!)

We left Austin at 4ish yesterday and rolled into Liberty a stir-crazy 4 hours later. It's officially 223 miles, but there wasn't much traffic so it wasn't that bad. Along the adventure, I read the crossword puzzle clues aloud to Don and filled in the blanks with his answers. He's a crossword genius. Por ejemplo, words like "abed" roll off his tongue to the clue "sleeping." Not everyone can be a crossword-meister.

Don went out on his first full-emersion duck hunt at the crack of dawn this morning. That's right... he waded out to the middle of the cold, flooded field. On the way out, he wants us to know, that the water was up to his thighs with just an inch to spare protected by his hip-boots. Very, very carefully he troded to just the perfect spot to take down the duck that crossed his path. They called him "Dead-eye Son-In-Law." He had a blast with the other five men and all told, they took home 13 ducks. A very good hunt. Especially since the day before Dad reported there were some 1,000 ducks a-flying. Mom and I thought they would have all flown away come the day of the hunt just like they did last time.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch, RJ and I had a great morning. Honey and I bathed Rosa Jane in her first big ol' kitchen sink bath and I think she genuinely liked it. We went to breakfast at Casa Don Boni's with our favorite friend, Mickey. Post breakfast, Mom and I went shopping and now we're back home updating their new computers.

Rosa Jane turns 14 weeks today. She's talking and singing a lot these days. She is singing right now as I type and I wish that I had a recorder to share it with you. It's so cute! On the other side of the cute coin, she wakes up in the middle of the night -- much to our dismay. I suspect it might just be the lack of our usual routine. The bad news is that she has "outgrown" her miracle blanket, but in its place, sister pixie gave us a leopard-printed baby sock called a Cozy Cocoon. I have to say, Rosa Jane looks ADORABLE in leopard print!! For the past two nights I've had trouble walking away from her crib after placing her down because she looks so cute. I just want to stare at her.

We don't have big plans for tonight -- just more of the same -- updating computers. I wouldn't even bet that we'll see the clock strike twelve. In his Christmas note to me, Don referred to 2005 as a crazy, scary beautiful year. I have to agree. It was such a scary, full of doubt rollercoaster that has concluded with overwhelming joy, love, excitement and hope for the future and all that will be in 2006. I can't wait to find out what's next. We're definitely starting out on the right foot -- our good friend, Robyna, is coming to stay with us for a while. Let's hope for good health, good friends, more peace on earth, more joy, more ducks, more laughter, less house in Boston and more baby steps.

Happy Birthday, dear friend Laurie Zuehlke!!!