Happy 20117! I hope your year is off to a good start. We had an eventful night to close out 2016. My friend hosted a NYE party that was supposed to be a classy grown-up affair, but when it turned out no one had babysitters for the kids it ended up being more of a family affair. Eve and I got prettied up anyway.

All gussied up and ready to party! (we both have very tired eyes :/ I need to find the ‘awake and alert” filter! )

The kids did some night sledding, watched Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and ate their weight in Jax and snacks. The adults discussed the past year, the future, politics, the economy… ha, just kidding, the adults drank wine, talked about the kids, and ate their weight in fancy food that Bill prepared.

My bestie is so clever! We had fun identifying all of the deceased celebrities and choosing our favorite one. I went for Gene Wilder, and Alan took Alan Rickman. :)

I love this picture and I hate this picture. Maybe next NYE I can call this my “before” picture and have a much svelter “after” picture to post! Eve’s stuffies in her hand and under her arm are odd additions to the photo as well.

We told the kids that we could leave whenever they were ready and by 9:15 they were ready. However, there was still more good food coming and cats to pet and beverages to finish, so we didn’t end up leaving until closer to 10:30… only to discover the road was totally icy and our little car was going nowhere fast! They have a steep downhill driveway, then a 90° turn onto a steep uphill road. We tried backing way down the road, getting a running start, inching slowly, and everything else Alan could do, but the car just slipped, slid, spun, and refused to go up. After a few tries the kids and I got out (two full spins is enough for me and Eve was in tired tears). The other couple that was leaving at the same time as us had the same problem. At this point it was nearly 11pm. I took the kids back inside, tucked tired Eve into the guest bed with a book, and helped clean up the party with the remaining guests while the men went outside and did their best with whatever salt and kitty litter they could round up. Lex and the other boys resumed their pillow fight with “I wanna rock and roll all night,” cranking on Alistair’s CD player! :)

Eventually Alan got the car up and over the hill, one of the guys came to let us know, I rounded up the kiddos, and we made it home safe and sound. It was snowing and slick so we stuck to the side roads and took our time. We got home at about 11:50, put on PJs and brushed teeth, then found the NYE ball drop on YouTube just in time for the final 14 seconds of the countdown! We counted along, yelled Happy New Year, then didn’t know what to do withourselves because it was midnight, we were all wound up, and only barely just got home. We ended up hanging out, opening our Family Fun Jar, downing lots of water, and chatting until 12:30. The kids wanted to break out a game, which is what we usually do on NYE, but Alan and I decided NYE was over and everyone had to go to bed!

Everyone slept late this morning (yay!), then we spent a quiet day reading, playing card games, and (of course) a little screentime too. Eve and I went in to school for a little while to work on the fish tank (more on that later!) then picked up take-out for dinner. Now we are watching a Marx Brothers movie and the kids are laughing and laughing.

Here’s to many more exciting (but not too exciting!), fun-filled family days together in 2017!

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