Happy New Years!

We had a fun New Years Eve this year.  We originally planned to take the kids sledding during the day.  It ended up being really windy and cold so we quickly scrapped that idea.  The kids had been wanting to make gingerbread houses for a while, so we figured we would do that instead.  When Tori was in kindergarten she made a gingerbread house by gluing graham crackers to the sides of an empty little milk carton.  I thought it was brilliant.  So much easier then trying to put together a big one, and each of the kids got their own.  So we decided to go that route.

Tori went with me to the store to pick up all the fun stuff, and then helped me set everything up.

The kids had so much fun decorating their own little gingerbread houses.   



Alexis stayed at the table long after Tori and Levi were done with theirs, making sure hers turned out just right!



Here they are with their finished masterpieces!

Levi's.  Levi payed such close attention to detail when he was decorating his.

Tori's  (she was a smart girl and used the yummiest candies to decorate hers.  Everyone was jealous in the days to come as they started to eat away at their gingerbread houses, lol)

Alexis's.  She had a few roof cave in incidents from all the heavy mints she used on top.  In the end she pulled it off great!

Usually on New Years Eve, we get a sitter for the kids and go out with friends.  As our kids get older they are more excited about New Years and want to have fun to!  Our good friends the Beyerleins invited us over this year to spend New Years Eve with their family and we had a great time. 

The kids all played great and kept themselves entertained really well!  Our kids are about the same ages, and always play so well together.

We were glad they entertained themselves so well, so the adults could play some games of our own!  We played Dominion and Phase Ten.

Here Katie is serving up some yummy sparkling cider.



Katie then made the sweetest New Years Toast.



 Then it was about time for the count down to begin.  The kids didn't have a hard time at all staying up until midnight.  We bought all kinds of poppers and noise makers to ring in the new year with.

                                                    

We ended up staying until around one to finish up our game.  It was a great new years eve spent with wonderful friends.  As we start 2012 we are so excited for what the new year will bring, especially the birth of our sweet baby girl!