New Year's Eve

Yes, it's 31 Dec 2016 and I'm just now posting NYE 2015 pics. That's okay- it looks very similar to this year's pics (if I'd taken any this year.) Well the kids are 2-4" taller, V is awake a lot more, we no longer have our yellow fair cups, but we did have lots of the same fried foods. I do enjoy our NYE tradition of each person making an appetizer. In Baltimore, we went to BJs and everyone picked a premade appetizer that only required heating, now the food isn't any healthier but there is some more cooking involved. 

c picked pigs in blanket 

KG breakfast eggrolls

T crab rangoon

C beef empanadas

K honey BBQ chicken wings

D deep fried apple pie

M carrots/ Whitman's sampler that i forgot for  Christmas :(

I really enjoy our tradition of each person serving the food they made and as they serve telling the person what they love about them. So many different responses- so sweet to hear the kids say why they love us and each other. 

 This year James did go to the NYE service at Manna. the kids and I stayed home, v ran all over the place and then went to bed, the other kids played K's new game and wii. When James got home, we counted down and yelled Happy New Year! (I think it was 9 pm. And toasts of sparking apple cider.

Last year we went roller skating

with friends. Lots of fun!

This year we're going to a new church site. Praying for a great new year!! 

Happy New Years Take Two

We started our New Years' appetizer tradition in Baltimore and have enjoyed it ever since. We were so excited to celebrate New Year's with James in April. We started the day with a trip to Cary. We went hiking- well James and kids did while V and I enjoyed a beautiful quiet morning in a garden.

After hiking we went to Duck Donuts! Yum! We just started our Duck Donuts tradition last year in the OBX but it was so good that we've been talking about it for a year. Plus close friends here love Duck Donuts too so we talk about it a lot.

 It was worth the wait! I don't remember all the kinds but maple bacon, chocolate bacon, strawberry lemonade, were a few.

We got home and had our New Years' Eve dinner. Each person picked an appetizer to fix and serve. As we take turns serving each other, we tell each other something we love about the person. Here's our spread this year.
Carrots- me (this was not the favorite appetizer :)
Bacon wrapped scallops- T
Spring rolls- KG
Bacon wrapped beef tenderloin- C
Two kinds of Chicken wings- K and Daddy

Then our sweet end of the night was Duck Donuts- Baby C

New Years' 2014

I love traditions. I love when the kids remember our tradition and are so excited about them. Even though James is away this year, we've tried to continue many of our traditions. New Years' included. I also like to be flexible (sometimes). We had friends who we really enjoy seeing who could have a park date New Years Eve so we decided to celebrate New Years Eve on New Years Day which is okay!

We got up and fixed pancakes- now I have several pancakes flippers and an egg scrambler so I mostly supervised. we went on our annual bike ride- although this one was very short since I had a flat tire. I sure do miss our wonderful bike repairman. After our bike ride we enjoyed Russian tea, homemade donuts, and oliboli (Hillegonda fixed oliboli- a Dutch New Years tradition- which Hannah brought  over New Years Eve- she and I caught up for a couple hours after the kids went to bed.) The kids played so nicely and it was nice outside so the kids skipped naptime (well Big Girl C napped but the rest had a great time outside.) I didn't have as great a time since I was trying to fix our toilet. I really mess our wonderful handyman, plumber, jack of all trades too.

Then we began fixing appetizers- a tradition we started four years ago. The kids get so excited to go the store (usually BJs) and select an appetizer to fix. These are usually heat and serve but they love choosing, fixing, and serving them. Once we got the appetizers going, it was game time. In years passed we've sometimes used envelopes or balloons with fun ideas listed. This time since James is away and Big Girl C is into everything, the kids and I came up with a list of fun things and I helped pick what we were doing by what Big Girl was up to. Some of our fun- Quirkle, LCR, Bananagrams, and more games. Our little one woke up "hunree" so we were all happy to start eating our yummy/ unhealthy appetizers. Each person served the appetizer they prepared and as they served the appetizer, they told their family member something they love about them. I loved some of the things they said they about each other: "I love playing football with you, i love playing lego with you, I love that you cook", .. but also I also "l love that you are kind, I love that you like to help others, ..."

After dinner, we had another favorite tradition- filling our and reading our time capsule. The kids really get a kick out of reading their past years responses. T cracked up that one year he wrote his name was train and was surprised to see that all four years he put he wants to be a policeman when he grows up. C laughed at how one year he wrote his answers by drawing. We played a few more games before the countdown and toasts (at 7:30). We were thankful that James could Facetime with us and everyone enjoyed the toast- sierra mist and pineapple juice.
We really missed James but were happy to have our traditions and Facetime to connect. We are looking forward to the New Year.

New Years

Happy New Year! I can't believe another year has passed. The quote about the years being short is so true. I'm always telling K how it seems like he was just born yesterday! (Even if some of the days are long!) So we didn't take pictures New Years Eve but we did have a nice day. It was really nice to just be home especially after a super trip. Two years ago we started an appetizer tradition for New Years and we continued this year. I wasn't sure how it would work out with C's dairy allergy but it turned out great. We went to BJs on the 30th for our last BJs shopping trip and to pick out appetizers. I was prepared for a few tears as I had to tell the kids "no- that has dairy." But there were many non-dairy options and the kids were very understanding about picking those. 

Our picks 

Kg bacon scallops

T chicken skewers

C empanadas

K homemade BBQ chicken

J bacon tenderloin

K potstickers

Everyone really enjoyed our day. Each person selected, prepared, and served their appetizer and told each family member something they love about that person. A nice day! We also took turns popping a balloon to find out that hour's activity. Lots of games, home videos, ... Next year I'm going to pick times for each activity. Fun times!

K with the ornament he picked. Another tradition: each year after Christmas we've gone shopping so each child can pick an ornament to keep. Their trees won't be empty when they leave home! 

K was amazed that Baby C is already cleaning walls and sweeping. gotta start early!

The kids (and adults) were so happy to have a couple sledding days. Everyone had a blast. 

Baby  C liked being pulled around in the sled. She just didn't like when we let go!

We are sure going to miss Sherwood Gardens!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2011 already. well, my watch still says 31 DEC but the ball dropped, the whistleblowers blew, the fireworks sparkled here several hours ago so it must be 2011. It's been a great year and we ended with a wonderful day. We started off the morning with a Manna Multisports Family Run. KG and T ran their first races- 1/4 mile each while K & C did their first races- 1/2 mile. C thought it was so much fun that he did the mile with James and finished it 10:20!! he turns five in 2 weeks and that's faster than some of my old soldiers ran. Then James watched all our kids plus a friend (definite good husband points) so I could run the 5K by myself. Five families from our Tuesday morning run group were there plus another 3 from Manna Multisports- nice end to the year.

We had planned a quiet evening at home until a good friend turned our evening more fun by inviting 25 people over to our house for a New Years' Eve party. Between the two events, we were happy to have Pops Leon & Grandma work hard with us in the garage repairing the hole I put in the ceiling. And Uncle B to hang out with the kids.

The New Year's Eve party was a great success. I offered to provide meat and drinks but realized we didn't have any and called everyone coming asking them to bring those too. Great to have friends who are close enough to plan a party at our house and then I can ask them to bring everything for it.