Out With The Old...In With The New

Happy New Year's Everyone!

I hope that January 1, 2012 finds you all well, happy and healthy - or at least on your way to becoming that way.

We didn't sit around last night and discuss new years goals, resolutions and hopes as we've done in past years, instead we had a lovely time partying with family and friends in our home. 

But first, I want to tell you about one of the traditions we had at New Years Eve and New Years Day when the kids were young and all at home.

We would sit around on New Year's Eve and make lists - with me as scribe.  Each of us would tell what our favorite happening of the old year was, and what we wanted to have happen in the new year.  It was always fun to see what the kids would come up with.  On New Year's Day in 1979 we had five children ranging in age from 9 months old to almost seven years old.  When it came time for our oldest child, Rob, to tell what his favorite event of 1978 was, he said it was the birth of his first brother in March.  When asked what he wanted to happen in 1979, he said he would like us to have another baby!  Being the dutiful parents, always trying to please the kids, we promptly got busy and on December 4, 1979, Mary Ellen was born.  That was the last time any of the kids expressed the wish for a new baby as a New Year's goal.  But we did go ahead and have our 7th baby six years later.

I found the notebook with the lists for several years in it a few years ago.  What fun it was to go through it and review what was important in our lives at that time and to see how the children's opinions and wishes changed as they grew older. 

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Last night Lloyd and I hosted a party in our home.  His sisters both live in this area, as do their adult children, so they attended.  An old high school buddy of Lloyd's and his wife attended, as did a couple of our nieces and nephews, our son Mike and his wife Avril, and of course Amy, Curtis and their four kids and Mary and Greg and their two kids, all of who have been spending the holiday with us.  It was a great time.  Everyone had fun and tons of food got devoured.  We set the six kids up downstairs with a table of snacks, games and activities, under the control of the oldest, 9-year old Kenzie.  They were all determined to stay up till midnight to do the toast and countdown.  Meantime, the adults spread out and played games, visited, talked and laughed, and ate.  Lloyd made his famous diabetic sugar-free non-alcoholic punch which everyone loves, his sister brought a big pot of chile, others brought salad and sweets, and we provided hors d'hourves enough to sink a ship.  The 'piece de resistance' however, was the cake our niece, Gail, brought.  She has an in-home cake baking and decorating business and created a special one for last night.

Gail and her cake

The special New Year's Eve cake

The kids were remarkably well behaved.  The mothers went downstairs regularly to check on them and refill their snacks.  We really didn't think they could stay up till midnight though so at a few minutes to 10 we brought them all upstairs and we all congregated in one room for the toast and countdown.  They thought it was midnight so they were happy.  Everyone was served a small glass of sparkling fruit juice, the kids clinked glasses with the adults, we sang Auld Lang Syne, Jim toasted the year, and the kids were happily in bed by 10:45, and the adults partied on till midnight.

The kid's party - vegetable smiles

Clinking Glasses

Jim's philosophy - sounds good

What a great way to start a new year.