Micro Birthday Road Trip

 Today is D's birthday, and so, while the whole world is celebrating a new year, we are celebrating our man Dan and how great he makes our lives. We ate breakfast at IHOP this morning, and then we drove to Richmond to the Virginia Museum of Science's New Year's Celebration. 

 At noon we all "counted down to the New Year" and then 2015 rubber bouncy balls were dropped into the rotunda area. Twenty confetti cannons were shot into the area and toilet paper was sent streaming into the air using a contraptions made from a leaf blower and paint roller

We stayed for a couple hours. The boys loved the liquid nitrogen science demonstration most, wholly entertained by shattering cabbages and shrinking air-filled balloons. A and I boogied in the Zumba room because she has no hesitance on the dance floor.

 Note to self: the kids were a little whiney, I won't lie, and so next time I'll make sure we don't arrive right at lunch time. I think they'll know what to anticipate, too, so that will help.

I mean, who doesn't look down on Fouccault's Pendulum with complete amazement the indisputable fact of our Earth's rotation? I bet they just need some time to process it.

 We visited a couple independent music shops in Richmond for fun, and then drove back to Albemarle County for dinner. Dr. Ho's Humble Pie was our destination. We've been hearing about it for nearly four years, and Dan's birthday was the perfect excuse.

 Five stars! We will go back. We picked up ice cream at the grocery store to eat in lieu of birthday cake. Blue Bell never disappoints.

 Dan will never get the honors and awards he deserves for the role he plays in our home. He packs lunches and coaxes kids out of bed in the morning. He nearly never misses dinnertime. He reads scriptures and then from a chapter book to our kids every night he is home. He encourages and supports me in just about about everything I dream up doing. He's taught himself to play three instruments in his limited free time, filling our home with music in the process. And he does this all while managing the stress and pressures of work and church assignments. He is amazing to me.