NEW YEARS

Our New Years Eve tradition is to go to Outback and pick up our dinner and bring it home to enjoy it. This is the only time we ever do this but everyone looks forward to it. Then we usually have an evening of games, puzzles, movies and whatever else to count down to midnight. Sometimes we have a slumber party in the living room complete with air mattresses and sleeping bags. Whatever we do, it is always fun being together and watching one year disappear and welcome another one in together. This year, our friends the Gowders invited us over. We ordered Outback and enjoyed a quite dinner at home and then went to their house for the evening. Lisa made a great display of food, but we were too full to eat much, even at midnight. The Gowders got a puppy for Christmas as well, so we all oohed and aahed over this LITTLE puppy. He is so little compared to our BIG puppy. He is so little that they are having to bottle feed him.

We had a wonderful evening with our friends. We all tried some sugar cane which Lisa cut off for everyone. I don't know if I had ever tried that before.
At midnight, the kids had a fun time "playing up" the sparkling apple cider..

Despite the funny photos, Jennifer had to hold her nose to down the apple cider.
Thanks Brett and Lisa for a nice evening!
Then, we spent New Years Day with some other friends. We had a great time just hanging out and rolling in the New Year. The guys watched football...
The ladies played games..
and the kids just played all day...
One of the things we noticed this year is that we were able to sit and enjoy each other's company without having to get up one time to check on the kids or intervene in any way. Not even to break up any disagreements. It isn't the first time, but we talked about how nice it is to be at that point. When you have 7 kids together for most of the day, that is a nice thing. We are so blessed to have such great kids and such great friends. Happy New Year!!