It’s evening now, and another winter night has set in. This one’s special though. We’re getting ready for a New Year’s celebration that will soon begin. I’ve been keeping my time on a leash these past few days, trying to wrap up loose ends so I can start the new year with a clean slate. Wow, what a year! So many things happened, most good, some bad (but they turned into good anyway) that I can hardly begin to recall them all.

We sat down yesterday and counted our blessings. There were over 30 big and wonderful things that happened to us in 2006, and that’s not even counting the ones we couldn’t remember. We’re grateful here, and we look forward to 2007 as we plan for bigger and better things. We hope your 2006 was as wonderful as ours, and that 2007 will turn out to be an even better year for you.

As you each celebrate New Year’s Eve in your own way, let me tell you how it’s done in Romania: we have a most wonderful time with friends, and toward midnight, we call up every single blessed relative and friend and wish them a Happy New Year. The lines are so busy we can hardly get through, but it’s loads of fun!

It’s a pity people here in the States don’t have as much fun as Romanians. Our neighborhood is pretty quiet during times like these… There’s one thing I know. I plan on making lots of noise at midnight, and if I wake up a few sleepy neighbors, so be it! 😀 I’ll leave you with a few photos from these past few days. See you next year!