New Year’s Eve 2012

It felt so good to be home last night and get a lot of jobs done.  I did about 5 loads of laundry!  I love being over at Mom & Dad’s house during the holidays, but that means things get neglected at home if we’re gone too long.  Anyways, we got cleaned up this morning and went back over to Mom & Dad’s to spend the day.  Autumn saw Aunt Jana putting her make up on at the kitchen table, and was glued to Aunt Jana’s side.  Autumn is so obsessed w/ make up and takes any opportunity she can to wear it.

Aunt Jana, Mom & I were busy working in the kitchen and Dad & Uncle Keith had gone to a shooting range, so we asked Nick to keep the kids entertained for a while so they would stay out of the kitchen.  He read them “Green Eggs & Ham” w/ silly voices and they thought it was so funny.

Mom & Jana & I were in the kitchen all working for 3 hours straight!  We made cream cheese bread, scrapple, egg rolls, fried rice, and sweet & sour sauce!  Jana was awesome and kept up on all the dishes so that when we were finally done, we had a clean kitchen and could just sit down and relax.

I forgot that I had bought a Disney game for the Kinect for Christmas, but I found it when I was cleaning up some stuff last night.  So, I brought that over this morning and it kept the kids entertained for quite a while.  I was SO FRUSTRATED w/ the game at first b/c it didn’t explain very well about how to get to the games.  It just had us running around Disneyland to get stupid autographs from Goofy & Donald Duck.  But, once we finally figured out how to get to the games it was super fun.  Lexie & Autumn are doing some Princess dances in this pic.  I came up w/ the BRILLIANT idea to put this Cars blanket down on the ground, b/c the kids kept getting too close to the TV and the sensor couldn’t pick them up.  But if they stayed on the blanket, it was the perfect size area for them to move around but still be in the right area for the sensor.

It had been raining all morning, but dried up in the afternoon.  Once Dad & Keith got back from the shooting range, we sat down and had eggrolls and fried rice for a late lunch.  We decided that will be a new tradition we’ll start…to eat eggrolls and fried rice on New Year’s Eve and call it our “Chinese New Year.”  Then the kids were being wild and crazy so Uncle Keith & Dad took them outside to let them ride their bikes.  I remember when Uncle Keith taught me how to ride a bike, so it was fun to have him here telling Autumn how to ride a bike.  Dad & I had tried teaching her a few months ago and it was not a good experience b/c she would just laugh and not pedal.  However, today she did so much better.  Dad let go of the towel that was holding her up and she rode a ways on her own before she fell.  I was so proud of her!

This picture cracks me up b/c Autumn was pretending to talk on the phone and was all snuggled up w/ Aunt Jana & Uncle Keith.  I love it that she gets to spend time w/ extended family and build relationships w/ them.

The guys watched football while Mom & Jana & I did puzzles.  Autumn wanted to do puzzles too and was needing some attention from me, so we did that Snow White one on the floor together.

I am getting old, b/c I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year.  Plus, I wanted to celebrate w/ Autumn so we did our sparkling cider toast at 9:30.  We were going to get out the fancy crystal glasses like we usually do, but Mom & Jana & I had done enough dishes and didn’t want to wash them so we decided on these little plastic cups instead.  LOL!

We counted down from 10 and then “clinked” our glasses together and yelled “Happy New Year!”  Autumn thought it was so fun, and so did I b/c then I could put her to bed and not keep her up until midnight.  Mom went and laid down w/ Autumn and Andrew b/c she needed a little nap.

Jana & I worked on this puzzle and Mom did that little 100 piece one by herself after she got up from her nap.  We finished the puzzles at 11:00 and I called it good b/c i was tired, so I woke Autumn up and took her home.  I did end up staying up until past midnight b/c I was watching TV and doing some dishes and editing pictures.  Not a very glamorous way to ring in 2013, but that’s OK.  I’m thankful for all my multiple blessings that 2012 brought and am looking forward to a great new year.