Ever since we moved in, the house has been full of friends!!! I cannot count how many people have been here already. Some just stop in to say hi. Most of Mike's aunt and uncles stopped in the other night after taking Daudy King's out for their anniversary. So, when it came to thinking about New Years Eve ... why not do something right here at home???
We had some friends from church that sent Mike a text saying that they are coming over. :) We loved the idea and made it official. I felt like we were a little unbehind and only planned it a day before but my mind is still on the "one day at a time mode"!!! :)
We ordered pizza from VIM and each family brought fixings to go with it. Suz made all the desserts. Lorene brought salad. Sonia brought drink and chips. We had one problem though. Our coffee machine is not working right. We have some scheduled to come out and fix it but not until next week. So we got our drip coffee maker out and it took really long to brew eight cups. I think it was so full of dirt from the basement storage. :/ I then got out my 50 cup coffee maker and brewed 30 cups. We were good for the rest of the night with coffee supply!!!
The party was on! Kids were all around us while us adults sat and chatted and played "scum" and "Couplez". I prayed, even before we moved, that I would not have "new house syndrome" and be so picky with the kids that living here in a new house would not be a good experience. With inviting three families with each having at least four kids each, the house got a hardy welcome!!! :) I was relaxed and had a wonderful time entertaining in our spacious space!
At midnight we watched the ball drop in NY on the news. The boys ran outside and blew the car horns.
We never got to bed until 2:30 AM!!! We laughed and had a blast!!! Thanks guys for coming over and for joining us in welcoming 2016!!!
Then on New Years Day, we slept in as long as Austin left us. :) He's the early bird around here. Mike helped me clean up the house from the night before. He swept all the floors and carpets while I wiped up the floors, did laundry and got things cleaned up.
Then at 1:00 he said that we are both going out for a run. I was into it because with the sun finally shining brightly through our many windows (we had so many rainy days in a row), I was energized. I would really like to get back into a running schedule once life slows down enough for me to catch a breathe. We both got on our running shoes and out the door we went. I surprised myself and went 1 mile without stopping and then walked/ran back. My lungs were so thankful for some fresh air and my mind thanked me for a clear run! :)
We got showered and refreshed just in time for Matt and Lena and the boys to come over for pork and sauerkraut. Lena made baked the pork and kraut while we mashed potatoes and fixed up a quick salad. Again, it's so much fun to entertain here at home with the extra space!!!
We ate at 3:00 and then Matt went duck hunting. The rest of us just hung out here until he came back. His brother Jeff came over to see the house and the guys chatted for awhile. Then we played a game of Candy Land. Dads VS Hunter and Ashlyn. :) Cereal was served late. Can't go wrong with Cheerios and Frosted Flakes, right? :)))
These two have a total blast together!!!
Now today, we cleaned up again and went out shopping for a few more house things. Hadassah had a pillow to take back and we ate lunch with Lena and her boys at Panera Bread. Again, the sun was out bright and that alone makes me get up and going feeling energized!!! I kept thinking each day that "maybe today I will get to do more unpacking and work in the basement". Maybe after all these holidays and parties are over, I can focus on that. :)
I have not thought much about new year resolutions. Not yet. If I do, I'll try to write them down and maybe share a few on here. :)
For now, we welcome the year of 2016 and thank God for all his mercy and grace and blessings he poured out on our family last year!!!
Happy New Year!!!
