Happy belated New Year!!! We had a very low key new year with just the four of us, but it was just what we needed after our long trip up north. We got home a few days before New Year's Eve and planned a little party, with lots of input from Anna. Let the good times roll! :-)
Above: We blew up balloons and played your typical, "keep the balloon off the ground for as long as possible" game. Ben was not too excited about the game...or anything else for that matter...but the rest of us loved it. (Benjamin has been under the weather since we've been home.)
Below: We had lots of leftover snacks from Christmas that made our little party pretty tasty. We tried "Jiffy Pop," the stove top popcorn stuff, for the first time. Very entertaining. Ours had a hole in it, and pieces of popcorn were flying out during the process. In the second picture you can see that one caught on fire. Fun times...Anna loved it! After getting situated with snacks, we watched a little movie together...minus Ben-Ben, who was already asleep. I think Anna made it up until 9pm, which is very, very late for her.
The last few pictures are of New Years Day. Ethan made us a delicious brunch to start the year off right. We played with play-doh a lot that day, making pretend food. (Not a tradition, just what Anna wanted to do. :) And Ben was in a better mood. Yay!
We tried to explain to Anna what goals are. She seemed a little confused, understandably. (We were also trying to explain the concept of how long a year is too.) So, after all the explaining, we asked Anna what her goals for the year would be, or what she wanted to do/try this year. Here is her response (in case you can't read it above): 1.) I want to try to be a ballerina. 2.) I want to try to be a cooker. 3.) I want to try to be a seller. When I asked her what she would sell (not sure if she even knew what that meant) she said, "I will sell toys to other kids and they will give me their money....It will make them so happy, mom." So, do we have a little entrepreneur on our hands?
As for me, I'm pretty sure you can read the goals above. Hey, maybe if the blogging world knows what I'm working on, I'll feel more motivated. The only goals I remember making last year, were ones that actually stuck. (I believe I made a few others, but obviously didn't see them through.) 1.) Family Home Evening -or Family Night- once a week and 2.) cooking dinner for the family to sit down to, which was probably so successful because I was finally done with school. The first one is kind of funny because we pretty much have family night every night...but we wanted to start an official, once a week Family Home Evening with the whole prayer, song, announcements, lesson, activity, treat (or something along those lines). Now it's something that Anna really looks forward to and gets excited about. She especially loves the announcement part, and wants everyone to share one. So we're hoping that if it's routine now, then when she's 12, 13, 14, and on it'll still be something that just happens and, hopefully, she still looks forward to.
I think this years goal that will be hardest is the "no soda" one. For anyone that knows us (Ethan is doing it too), it is a very big deal. I wasn't much of a soda drinker most of my life, but I have certainly made up for it since marrying Ethan...such a bad influence. :-) So, that 2 liter of diet coke on the table for our New Years brunch will be our last...mostly. We're thinking that it's just something we won't personally buy, which doesn't totally cut us off - like when we're visiting home. Hey, this is still a very significant step for us! Wish us luck.
So, good-bye 2008! You were a very good year to us: our sweet, squishy Benjamin was born, Ethan was acceptanced into graduate school, we sold our house quickly and for profit which was a HUGE blessing considering these crappy economic times, we've made some great new friends (moving kind of forces that on you :), we became a two car family with owning our first mini van...and I am a HUGE fan even though I NEVER wanted to own one (it has a DVD player, need I say more), Anna was potty trained, we had good health, and we made plenty of good memories. Now on to new adventures in 2009!!!
2 comments:
I'm glad you had a great New Years! Your pictures are so fun to look at. You're such a good blogger. :) I hope your 2009 is fabulous...good luck on the no pop drinking. Love ya!
Me again! I do remember dress shopping with you, it was so much fun. I remember we almost didn't go into that dress shop because it was creepy. It was beautiful! I'm hoping I don't grow out of mine, I actually think I need to have it taken in. :)
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY by the way. I thought about you on the 13th, but go so busy with life I forgot to call. I hope you had a great birthday. Too bad we arent the same age anymore. Lova ya!
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