Happy New Year, 2014!

Happy New Year!!

Although, to be honest, I really liked 2013.   I wasn't QUITE ready to say good-bye to it.  I think this is the first year that I have felt actual sadness that a year has passed.  Maybe it is being born on the 13th or something made me sort of attached to it.  

I have to say that 2013 ended  nicely.

We chose as a family to spend New Year's Eve at home, just with each other.

The kids all had invites to parties or whatnot, but preferred welcoming in the new year with us!

There really could be no greater compliment as a parent than having your children choose you of their own accord over their friends.  

I truly love my family and am grateful for them, each member, every day.

So, what did we do on New Year's Eve?

Well, we showed the kids how to make their very own Kukui Nut Leis. 

We bought kits in Hawaii for them.  

(Krystin IS wearing running shorts, so you know.)

They came out super cute! 

Logan missed Kayla and Krystin's birthdays and wanted to celebrate with them.

I had been saving a special box of funfetti cake mix and funfetti frosting for this special occasion.

(You can't buy them here in Hong Kong.) 

We all ate too much cake and ice cream and felt sick, but it was worth it.

Logan gave the girls the presents he had been waiting to give them.

So sweet and thoughtful. 

He gave me birthday presents too! 

Up she goes to my Iro-Iro collection.  Adorable.

One of our traditions is to play the game LCR on New Year's Eve.

Usually, we have silly little prizes to open as people win.

This year we were a bit short on time and it is hard to find things, so Todd and I bought a bunch of fun food things as prizes.  Whoever won was able to pick one out of the bag and we all tried it together.

In an interesting side note:  We played 5 round and we each won ONCE.  In order of our position at the table. It was weird. 

Logan demonstrating alternate uses to eating his selected item.

Foam bananas. He didn't have any takers. 

My Mom's Christmas package arrived on New Year's Eve, so that was fun too. 

Then we watched Dr. Who, until midnight saluted the New year and I passed out.

We toasted the New Year the next day!

I love my Turkish Tea cups.

Seriously, they are meant for toasting, even if they aren't really.

The birds wanted to toast the New Year too.

Indy REALLY liked it!

Then we watched MORE Dr. Who, because we were trying to make Logan into a Who-vian.

I think it worked!

We popped our crackers and had some fun with them.

(Then we popped our crackers from last year too.  

We kind of failed to get around to them last year.)

We did our New Year's resolutions together as a family the next day. 

Overall, we had a theme as a family. 

 Not intended, but I think a fair summary of each of our own separate resolutions would be:

Make 2014 Count!  

Happy New Year!

Here's to a year filled with lots of love, health, prosperity, peace and happiness...