Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

We had fun ringing in the new year complete with the entire crew eating bowls of cereal at 11:30pm, family Bible time in Daddy and Mommy's bed (yes, we were up until midnight), and a New Year's brunch of chocolate waffles and ice cream (yes, we did feed that to our kids...at 1pm...and no, they didn't eat breakfast before that).  We also had fun catching up with an old friend and making a new friend this afternoon.

Last night, over our midnight snack, I asked the kids what they would always remember from 2012 and here's what they said:

Joshua:
...Watching fireworks.
...Having our last ride on the subway.
...Driving across the Mississippi River.
...Packing to move.

Hannah:
...Playing at the Dietsch's.
...Buying the van.
...Packing everything.  "We had to squish the beds in [the trailer] 'cause they were too big!"

Abby:
..."We watched fireworks in Texas.  Yeah, in Houston in Texas."
I asked her three times, each time she gave this same response.  Apparently last night's fireworks made an impression on her!

Claude and I have a bit better long-term memories, so we'll write another post with our response to "What will you always remember from 2012?".

Looking at these photos I realize that we probably look outrageously happy.  Don't get me wrong, we're happy and blessed.  But let's be realistic...4 kids stayed up past midnight.  You know we had some pretty crazy moments around here today!  Keep reading and you'll hear plenty about the nitty gritty of life with a handful of little blessings.  For now, let's pretend that we never stop smiling.  :)

So, how did you celebrate the new year?  Staying up late?  Going to bed early?  Exceedingly unhealthy brunch food?