Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year last night with our annual New Year’s Eve party.  I’m not sure how it happened exactly, but at some point 7 or 8 years ago, this party ended up at our house and we’ve hosted it ever since.  This year the Graham’s, the Martinez’s and Jasmine Fregoe joined us.  We had a pot luck of snack food and played our usual games of Apples to Apples and Catch Phrase.  At about 11:45 we turned on the TV to Rockin’ Eve and waited for the ball to drop.

Over the last two New Year’s since our day in New York City during our 2013 vacation, the ball drop has taken on a little bit more significance for us since we know where it is located.  During our visit to Times Square, we saw the ball.  It looked a bit smaller than it does on TV (I figure it’s because the camera crew zooms in on the ball as the countdown begins).  Having a frame of reference is fun and it’s nice to be comfortably standing in the living room of our house while the people crowding Times Square were in the chilly elements as the ball dropped.

Nick Martinez was able to get a case of Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider (half apple-cranberry and half apple-grape).  There was enough for everyone who wanted sparkling cider to have their own bottle (Isaac doesn’t like carbonated drinks so he substitutes a glass of milk ☺).  After passing out bottles to those who wanted one and toasting the New Year, we realized that as a group of practicing Mormons, we looked pretty silly holding open cider bottles.  What else to do but take a picture of everyone as they took an extra swig from their bottles!

2014 has taken a bow and scurried away; 2015 marches onto the stage.  We’ve had a year of challenges and rewards; setbacks, surgeries, and amazing blessings.  Now we prepare ourselves for the known things that 2015 has to offer and wait for the unknown challenges and blessings the New Year will serve up on our plates.  As usual, we’re probably in for another interesting ride. J