Happy New Year 2009!

We had a really great New Years party. Ben (Bobs brother) had to work and his parents were going to go over there and watch the kids. I got to thinking that it would be a lot more fun if all of the kids came over for a slumber party. They brought their blankets, pillows, pajamas and enthusiasm. We started out by playing a game of pictureka while grandma finished making dinner. Then we had a scrumptious prime rib roast, potatoes, carrots and tossed salad. Everyone got plenty to eat. Adam and Tristan wanted to eat the meat off the bones that were in the roast. Then we went down stairs and settled in for a movie. First up was Kung Fu Panda. The kids had a fun time telling us to watch funny parts that they remembered from the movie. Heather and Ashton give it a thumbs up.
Tristan had fun quizing me on character names.

After a while I got treats out. Heather came upstairs to help me make the cracker and cheese tray and cut up sausage. We also had Doritos and Cheetos and dip. There were M&M's, Hershey Kisses and Gummy Bears. We also popped up popcorn (Ashton helped put the bags in the microwave). The kids kept asking when they could come up to get their treats. When we were ready we called them up and they each got to fill up a small plate with whatever they wanted.

Here is Adam chillin and watching the movie. After Kung Fu Panda we watched Horton Hears a Who. Ashton got bored in a few places and I think that I spent more time running up the stairs to pour pop for kids than watching the movie. After the second movie I let all of the kids get one more plate of treats then they all got into pajamas.


Bob's dad when to bed at 9pm he was tired. Bob's mom stayed up with us to watch the third movie.

Bob was online for most of the second movie and he was really good and didn't sucomb to the temptation of the many treats.

Here you can see Ashton getting popcorn out of the big bowl that was in the middle of everybody.

Tristan liked to lay on the arms of the chair and couch. He used his pillow to cover the gap between the two.

Sam was the first one (besides grandpa) to fall asleep. We had put in the third movie Journey to the Center of the Earth and she didn't make it too far into it before she crashed out. We had told the kids that if they fell asleep that we wouldn't wake them up for the New Year so we all wished he a Happy New Year in the morning.


Here are Bob and Heather blowing the conch shells at the stoke of midnight. I imagine that they were heard quite a ways away, but none of our neighbors came to investigate the sound. Heather gave it a good try this year but she ended up letting her dad blow both of them. I tried to practice earlier in the day, Heather came down to ask what the weird noise was. Bob says that I try too hard and that is why I don't make a sound. While we were in the house we let Ashton give it a try and he did way better than I did, I think that he has a future in conch blowing if he gets to spend a New Years with us when he gets a little bit older.
Ashton woke up at 7:30 even though he didn't get to bed until almost 1am. He crawled into bed with Bob and I and chatted about the stuffed animals that we have in there and got up and down off the bed a million times until I decided that we should get up and make breakfast. He helped crack all of the eggs for our scrabled eggs and bacon. Then he helped mix up the batter for eggnog pancakes. We had a great breakfast!
Ashton looks pretty excited about the breakfast that he helped to make.

The eggnog pancakes are Heathers' favorite and she is the one that requested that we have them before we can't find eggnog in the stores anymore. I remember that we made them for the first time the first Christmas that I was with Bob.

Sam kept hiding her face from the picture. I don't think that she liked the eggnog pancakes but she didn like the eggs.


Adam did not like the pancakes he had some toast instead.
Tristan did a great job cleaning his plate.

Bob says that this breakfast gets a thumbs up.

Bobs dad enjoyed the paper while his mom and I finished the breakfast.

Bobs mom doesn't really care for eggnog but she enjoyed the pancakes. She added ham to our eggs and cooked them slow and easy until they were just right. The kids all loved the eggs.

We all had a great New Year and we hope that all of you had a great New Year too.
Ashton and all of us wish you a peaceful new year.