Toasting in the New Year

Happy 2009!!!!

Every year we celebrate the New Year with a special family day. We have tried in past years to let the children stay awake New Year's Eve to watch the ball drop but we quickly learned that if they made it until midnight they still wake up the next morning at 6 am. This does not make for a pretty New Year's Day to say the least. Last year we began DVRing the ball dropping for them (a special shout out to The Miner's for introducing us to DVR.... that Jen could be a spokeswoman for TiVo) and that seemed to work well. So what we do now is celebrate New Year's Day with a mock countdown, a family dinner and something special.... this year that something special was family game night.

Daddy back to his waitering days.

The dinner is quite fancy (what you cannot see is Big A in his Terp pants). The girls help set the table, tablecloth and all, the "special glasses" are set out for the toast and the candles are lit.... several times I might add because one certain 2year old boy loves to blow them out. Before we eat Big A gives the New Year Toast. The toast this year was quite special as we are just over 6weeks away from the arrival of our newest little one. After the glasses of sparkling cider - or as Chloe calls it "Sparkling Spiders" - are clinked we go around the table and each say a few things we hope to accomplish or do in the new year. Maddie hopes to learn to ride her bike better, visit Disney World, take a trip to see her family and friends in Maryland and save enough money to buy an American girl doll. Chloe hopes to have a new baby brother or sister, to visit Nina and Grandaddy and everyone else in MD, to go swimming more and to stay a little girl with her mommy. Adam wants to ride Grandaddy's tractor and go to the beach. Adam and I want to stay an active family, keep in touch with family and friends, do some entertaining and exploring and continue to be active in the children's activities (coaching sports, volunteering in classes...).

After dinner this year we had the treat of webcamming with Aunts Patti and Judy.... the girls really got a kick out of this because the screen kept freezing and Aunt Patti really did look like a "frozen statue." If anyone else has a webcam we are always up for a call.

teamwork say "cheese"

Draw 4.. "Gotcha"

Another thing our family is striving for this year is Perfection........ the game that is. Uncle Kenny, Aunt Anna and Jack gave this to the girls this Christmas and it has quickly become a favorite for family game night. There is nothing like trying to get shapes in a hole while the timer is ticking away and everyone is doing the countdown or saying "go, go, go" - yeah, no pressure at all. None of us has beat the clock yet but we are determined to accomplish this in 2009 as well. The girls and Adam have been enjoying taking pictures with their new digital cameras (courtesy of Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Tom).... here they are taking a picture of daddy while he tries to beat the clock while having to say cheese several times. I think Chloe had already taken 230 pictures after only an hour of having the camera. We ended the night with a spirited game of UNO. Somehow or another the girls have teamed up and try to give us as many draw 2' &4's and skips as they possibly can - they think it is the funniest thing going. By the way, we figured out that neither of them likes to have UNO (one card left) because it means that soon they will be out, the game will be over and it will be time for bed.

So, hope you have enjoyed our little recap and from our family to yours.... We wish you a New Year filled with love, laughter and many grand adventures!!

Kristen, if you are still reading..... he loved his mat and cars!!

Much love to all!!