New Year 2009

Well, January is the month to get my act in gear...or at least try. I think when I make goals I try to get everything done all at once, but then it doesn't seem like I make any progress. I have started quilting again, after over a year absence from the hobby. I am really excited to do it again, I have been aching to get back to it. I did try to start working out again before Thanksgiving, and that didn't work out with the baby and the day care at the YMCA too well, so I have put that off...one goal on my list yet to begin. I have been feverishly trying to clean my house since we got home from Utah, but it seems just as messy each day with our family of 5, so I am losing momentum on that one. Hmm. I did resolve to finish up all these last home improvement efforts, most being painting. I had one spot to mud, sand and paint where we had to add a transition to the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs in the basement, which I finished this week. Yea! Danny can now finish the drop ceiling down there, and I also penciled in the mural for the kids' play area that I am going to paint. So things are moving along with that. One goal now is to catch up with my blog, so here goes! I thought I would highlight a few things over the last month because I haven't taken the pictures off of my camera until now.

To start the year off right, I thought I'd note how we sent it out. We had a great party at my friend Melissa's with the hubbies and kids. The kids did really good for staying up late!

Here are my friends Melissa, Kristin, and me. Melissa's baby Delyla went to sleep! But Asher and Nicholas had to tough out the late night. Yes, Nicholas didn't even fall asleep until 2009!
The kids had tons of fun playing together, they were very creative in their pretend play. Gavin was the only 3 year old that didn't konk out before midnight. The guys spent several hours playing Nintendo Wii games. I'm sure Danny liked that a lot more than the board games I usually want to play on New Year's Eve! So goodbye to 2008, hello 2009!

Yes, Danny's mom is excited about the New Year! (Gavin took this picture, so she had a fun face for him.) We spent New Year's Day going bowling with Danny's family and then had dinner with my family.

The funny thing about this bowling game was that Gavin won all of us, but he didn't want to play. He had a hard time rolling the ball, and when I helped him he almost went with the ball down the lane! Danny did a better job helping out, but he had decided he wasn't fond of it by then. But he bowled a 114!
Doesn't Lexie look cute like this? I love her in bowling shoes!
And here's our group. We did this last year, too. It's a fun tradition to spend time with family for the New Year!
New Year's Day was the last day we had to spend in Utah with everyone, so my parents made a fabulous smoked turkey dinner and invited my grandparents over. It was a fun night, and bittersweet for the grandparents as we would leave early the next morning back to Omaha. It was a nice visit to Utah...now back to life!