Happy New Year’s Eve!

Often on New Year’s Eve we go to a gathering at some friend’s because all our visiting family has left. This year, they were able to stay a little longer and we had such a good time with them celebrating the New Year!

My brother & his family spent a good part of the day with his in-laws in Bellingham, but the kids of course had some fun before they left.

I think that is one of my favorite pictures from the entire vacation. Have you ever seen such happiness?

Then, as my brother’s family was leaving, it began to snow. HUGE flakes were coming down and I adore this series of shots. I just couldn’t decide which ones to leave out, so I put them all in.

We headed home for the day – did some laundry and got things ready for school that would be starting up again in 2 days. Then back to my parents for our New Year’s Eve Par-tay!

Sarah made some party hats, plus we had the “Happy New Year” headbands leftover from 2006!

What New Year’s Eve party is complete without Calvin College balloons?

Then we started our “Just Dance” party. If you know my family, you know that this was a GIGANTIC stretch for us. But we all did it, at least for a little while, and we all had fun. Mostly. Except for Ed who compares it like this: “Ed is to Just Dance as Superman is to Kryptonite.” Well, thanks for trying, dear.

He’s much better at playing on his iPad…

We celebrated the New Year at what Elise has come to call “First Midnight.” Translation? 9:00 p.m. PST, Midnight on the East Coast. Watched the ball drop live. I still think we should have changed all the clocks to East Coast time to try to fool the kids…

A few of the adults, plus the big girls, made it to midnight, at which time some of my parents’ neighbors started shooting off what sounded like cannons. Becca woke up and ended up watching the fireworks over the Space Needle with us. Shhhh. Don’t tell Elise, Josh, or Carter!