Last night, we packed up some food, beverages and the girls and headed over to the house of our good friends, Scott and Sue. (Sue, you might remember from previous posts is not only a camping buddy but also my workout partner!) Dan and Tina met us there and we geared up to ring in the new year together! The kids were on hyper-speed the entire evening! Occassionally, they would settle down long enough to sit in front of the tv for a movie, but never for more than 10 minutes or so at a time! Sue made up some beds on the floor for them, popped them some popcorn and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, they not only didn't last long, they had a popcorn war and it went EVERYWHERE!!! At least they had fun!
Max and Sonja napped earlier, so they were in good spirits!
Mine didn't nap, so I thought they'd crash early...boy, was I wrong!! Luci practices for the big countdown. (Note the popcorn-covered floor behind her!)
The adults drank responsibly the whole evening, which we are thankful for this morning!! But we had as much fun as the kids! We joked, played games, Scott dug out a big box of old pictures and we laughed til our sides hurt!! Scott is a childhood friend of Dean's, they've been friends since Kindergarten!! He had some great shots of Dean from the 80's!!! All I'll say is hair and acid wash jeans!! Woo hoo! Sue and I have been friends since I was in 9th or 10th grade...she's a few years younger than me, but we became friends when I started dating her older brother way back when!
And as usual, wherever Drew goes, she's doing cartwheels.
Just before the big countdown, Dean and I pose for a shot! Happy new year, honey!! Here's hoping our 2011 is stronger, better and even happier than 2010 was!!
3, 2, 1......HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!
MUAH!!!
Drew toasts the new year with a sparkling glass of "champagne"! Actually just sparkling grape juice, but they loved it!
No, Sue...don't do it!!!!
After the celebration of midnight died down a little, we put the kids to work cleaning up their mess! Actually, Luci INSISTED on helping, and soon after the others joined in!
There's no denying they had fun!!
Dean actually made it to midnight with very few snoring episodes...but as soon as he sat down, all bets were off! GOING...........
GOING.............
GONE!!
Followed shortly thereafter by his brother, Dan!!
The kids, however, discovered a second wind and started a dance party!
Jeb does a mean robot!
Drew's isn't quite as convincing! Ha ha!
Darien looks like she's cheering on the whole group in this shot!
And where was Luci during the dance party? Off in the other room drawing!
But she finished up shortly and joined the others!
She shows off her split skills!
The video clip below is of Dean and Luci doing the Just Dance 2 game on the Wii.
I am SOOO glad to see the end of 2010!! Although 2010 was WAYYYYY better than 2009, it had it's share of ups and downs. The garbage I thought I had disposed of at the end of 2009 kept resurfacing in one form or another a few times throughout the year. And though my outlook about the whole thing remained surprisingly strong, it wasn't without it's lion's share of unwanted stress and painful reminders! I find it extremely bizarre that a person who hurt and scarred myself and my family...my ENTIRE family, grandparents included, would think that sending a Xmas card to said grandparents would think this a rational thing to do! It's actually kind of scary considering her mentally unstable state of mind...kind of like a Fatal Attraction scenario where the psycho keeps doing things to maintain some kind of a link to the family she nearly destroyed! Ah well, I learned last year that trying to understand psychopathic people is akin to banging your head against a brick wall! The best thing to do is just smile and move on!! (Although I am not against obtaining an order of protection should the unwanted contact continue!) At least now, these grandparents have a better understanding of just how much of a pathetic freak-show this person is! Probably not the "feel sorry for me" response she was hoping for by sending it in the first place. Almost sad, really....note I said ALMOST! At least she holds some entertainment value, if nothing else.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the new year and all it promises! My motivation to keep going to the gym has inspired me to seek the services of a personal trainer who works at the gym where I'm a member. John has created a customized workout for Sue and I and also recommended books and diet advice as well...his mom is a nutritionist, so he knows a thing or two! He has watched the usual workout we do and has promised that as long as we follow his advice, we should lose weight twice as fast (or faster!) than with what we're doing now. I am super excited, inspired and very motivated...and I think Sue is as well!!
I'm also excited about my photography business! This past Xmas season was my busiest to date! Normally, after senior picture season died down, I'd get a few Xmas pictures cutomers, but not many. This year I was getting calls left and right for Xmas pics! So, though I WILL slow down for the rest of winter and spring, I actually look forward to the break!! Dean and I have again started working on the inside of the house trying to get all the little jobs done, especially that back bedroom that has yet to be mudded! Once we get that done, we still plan on moving forward with the foster care/adoption process we started last year! Little by little, this house is becoming the one I always dreamed of! (Well, if it were located in some place with year-round warm weather, it wouldn't matter what it looked like...it would automatically be my dream home!! Ha ha!!) And come hell or high water....the house WILL be sided THIS year!! We nixed the Disney trip we were supposed to take in December for this very reason...so it had better get done!!!!!!
Yep...2011 promises to be a GREAT year!!!
Today's Quotes:
The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months! ~Edward Payson Powell
Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past. ~Henry Ward Beecher
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