new year things...

I apologize for the tardiness of this post.  My computer and I have been at odds lately.  I think we may have made amends but it is still too early to tell.

We had an amazing New Year's Eve.  Our New Year's Eve tradition is to spend the night with our friends Jason and Theresa.  Our tradition has grown and changed a bit over the years.  It started out as a quiet night with just the four of us...catching up on life, watching movies, the boys cooking up some amazing food, eating the delicious food, and ringing in the new year.  Now we share the evening with friends and family and children.  We have all the amazingly fun things that made our first New Year's Eve together special but on a grander scale.

I have to say that the boys outdid themselves this year.  Seriously, over thirty pounds of meat!  Holy cow!  Ok, so it was pig, but you get the idea.  

Yeah, that is eight racks of ribs.

More on the ribs in a bit...

Before my mom and my kids arrived I got to hang out with Theresa and her babies while the boys worked on the food...

I love these kiddos!

When Ashlyn and Landon came they had so much fun with the little kids.  We were surrounded by babies that night so they had plenty to play with...
Ashlyn has been telling people that on New Year's Eve she "babysat" for her mom's friend's little girl.  

Kiersten nicknamed Ashlyn, "Aya" (pronounced eye-yuh).  She ran around all night long calling her by her new name!

I love watching my kids playing with little kids.  It makes them seem so big now.

It made me think about the future.  Ashlyn is eight years old...that is half way to driving age!  She is only five years away from being a teenager!  Where did the time go?!  I remember when she was the same age as Kiersten and was obsessed with princesses.  Landon is six years old!  My baby is six!  Wasn't he just a baby who would let me dress him in cute sweater vests and didn't complain that he was too hot?  Man, time flies.

Sorry for the mini meltdown.  Back to the kids...

I think Landon really enjoyed being the big kid for once.

I think Memejo enjoyed the babies a little too...

Actually, I'm pretty sure everybody enjoyed those babies...

Now back to the food.  Did I mention thirty.pounds.of.pork...

(I love how the guys seem mesmerised by the ribs)


So here is the run down of our meal...

insane amount of mouth watering ribs...

baked beans...

jicama slaw...

and texas toast...

I think my mouth just filled with saliva looking at the pictures.  The food was THAT good!
Even the babies enjoyed the food...


Well, that was our New Year's Eve.  We had so much fun...  I can't wait until next year!

Now, I don't make New Year's Resolutions.  I think that any time of year is a good opportunity to make a change for the better.  I am always trying to find ways that I can improve.  I think I came a long way in 2011.  I was convicted to be more patient with my kids and I made some big strides in the right direction.  I even started enjoying crafts with them!  Hopefully, we will have lots of smiles in 2012!


Happy Friday everyone!