Happy New Year!

We got home from St. George and had just enough time to unload the car and for Zach to run to the grocery store before we were headed down to Orem to celebrate New Year's Eve with our good friends, the Smiths. It was so nice of them to host us this year because I literally had not given the day a second thought. I'm afraid if we didn't go to their house it would have just been business as usual and the New Year would have come without any fanfare from us. Holly, on the other hand, had prepared a super fun night for the kids complete with mystery activities as a countdown to the New Year. 

We had dinner- personal pizzas. Ryan is now a boy obsessed. After making and eating his "Bacon Pizza" (ingredients- cheese and bacon) he decided that he would open a Pizzeria and call it Super Pizza. Bacon pizza would, of course, be the signature dish. This one's got dreams I tell ya! (It all sounds very familiar. I'd make a comment about apples and trees but I know you know where I'm going with this.) After dinner we started in on the countdown activities. Holly put each activity in a brown paper sack and had them numbered 1 through 5. We started with bag #5 and counted down from there. Each kid got a turn opening a bag and they just loved it! It was a great way to build anticipation. The activities ranged from making shaker instruments to shake at the New Year to making cookies (pictured above). With only five activities you'd think I'd be able to remember them all but, sadly, I can not.

We got the kids in their pajamas and at 7:34pm we counted down from 10 and rang in the New Year! It was perfect. We were able to get the kids home at a reasonable time and get them in bed in enough time for Zach and I to watch a movie. The early celebration appeased the little boys' need to commemorate the New Year but Ryan was not so easily satisfied. He knew you ring the New Year in at midnight and, although he didn't fight us about getting into bed, he wanted a digital clock in his room to watch that night. I didn't think much of it and lent him my alarm clock for the night. There was no way he was going to make it until midnight after all.

Zach and I watched the new Planet of the Apes movie. We tuned into the Ball Drop just a few minutes before 12am and barely made it through Ryan Seacrest's MC job. The guy just bugs. Zach was a peach and had picked up some sparkling cider at the grocery store earlier in the evening so we were even able to have a toast before going upstairs and turning in for the night. We heard quite a few fireworks going off in the neighborhood, but nothing sounded amazing enough to get out of bed for.

The next morning Ryan said to us, "You guys said there wouldn't be any fireworks at midnight but you were wrong! There were! I watched them out of my bedroom window!" Oops! I guess he did make it to midnight! Poor guy. All alone in his bedrooom. That's no way to ring in the New Year! We had no idea he was still awake or we would have invited him down to watch the ball drop with us. We learned our lesson though and next year we will be sure to include him in our late night plans.

Before we knew it winter break was over and it was time for the kids to go back to school. Maybe it was being sick or the fact that we only spent a few days at home over break but I was not ready for it to be over! I would have been super happy with another week with the kids home from school. It makes me very excited for summer vacation. Is it May yet?

We pick some neighbor boys up a few doors down from us every morning on our way to school. My boys like to walk to the neighbor's house and have me pick them up too. Camden had recently decided he wants to walk with the big boys and watching them walk all in a row down the street every morning makes my heart just melt. every. time.

Camden was a little lost with out his brothers around that first Monday morning. Sporadically throughout the day he would walk around the house and call out for "RyYA!" and "Da!" and "BAYDee!" It was so sad and made the house feel very empty.

One morning the kids were ready for school 15 minutes before we had to leave. A miracle! Ryan had a book he needed to read for school so he started reading on the couch. It wasn't long before he was reading out loud to Brady and Camden and my heart melted again.

I love that Brady and Camden are such buddies. It's tricky because Brady has lots of friends in the neighborhood who want to play with him, but he would be just as happy at home playing with Camden- and Camden definitely prefers when Brady is around. Luckily, Camden still takes 2(!) naps a day so Brady can still squeeze in some friend time without sacrificing brother time.

And this picture of Camden is just too cute not to share- and a great way to end a post!

The End.