Happy New Year!

We had kind of a quiet celebration on New Year’s Eve.  We originally had plans for a bigger party but a couple of families were hit with sickness and another found a better option with other friends so it was just our little family (smaller than usual with the teenagers and pre-teen heading out to their own parties) and my parents and brother, Uncle Blake.  But we still had so much fun being together and the little kids were so excited for the party  . . .  games, NYE toasts with our Christmas goblets, hitting pots and pans and silly string a midnight.  And having Grandma and Grandpa over made it feel like a real party!

Last night for Christmas lights on the house.

 We tried to put the kids to bed early so they wouldn’t be exhausted but our ‘early plan’ ended up being closer to midnight.  The kids had only been in bed for a few minutes when the fireworks started exploding around the neighborhood.  Morgan and Mia ran back downstairs to go outside in the cold and bang pots and pans.  Griffin was so tired.  He came back downstairs crying, asking if we could please be quiet that he just wanted to sleep.  Ryan and Hadley came home from their friend’s just in time for the countdown.

And nothing is sweeter (or wetter) than a little New Year’s kiss from Morgan!

Happy 2013!

Out with the old . . .

Time to say goodbye to 2011.  It was a great year that went by way too fast.  We did a family activity for FHE and had everyone write down their top 20 blessings of 2011.  It was interesting to hear what the kids came up with and to see that everything on the list was not something materialistic, even if Xbox and iPod touches did make a few lists.

My top 20 (in no particular order):

1.  Family trip to California

2.  Girls trip to Seattle/Vancouver

3.  Mia potty trained.  Finally!

4.  Happy at work

5.  YW presidency

6.  Youth Conference

7.  Good Friends

8.  Dinner, Movie, Reality TV date nights

9.  No hospitalizations for any of the kids

10.  Grandpa got a better diagnosis and prognosis :)

11.  Morgan started cheerleading

12.  Griffin’s big hugs

13.  San Francisco trip to celebrate 15 years of marriage

14.  New York surprise birthday trip

15.  Mexican cruise with Jensens and Nan & Papa

16.  Forty years old

17.  Activity Days leader

18.  New bishopric

19.  Having a bunny for 11 years and a dog for 9 months.  Both had to go.

20.  40th Birthday surprise.  Trip around the world (aka Las Vegas).

Biggest lesson from 2011:  Life is fragile.  Appreciate family.  You never know how much time you have together.

We celebrated 2011 with dinner and games with my family.  Everyone had early morning church the next morning so our party died out around 10.  I really debated about going to sleep and even climbed into bed.  But it just didn’t feel right to go to sleep before the New Year.  

I got out of bed around 10:30 and convinced Gavin to go over to our friend’s party for a few hours.  We played a few rounds of Celebrity Names and then it was time to get the bubbly out and countdown to the new year.

We woke up anyone who may have been sleeping in the neighborhood with our loud pots and pans, fireworks and cheers.

Happy New Year!