This giveaway is closed. Winner to be announced later on Wednesday the 7th.
I hope you all had a great couple holidays over the past week! It went by fast for us. Today FishPapa is back to work and I’m focused on re-establishing some kind of routine around here. December was a wild month for us, tainted with heartbreak, and yet, with our kids around, how could we not smile?
We know that Gramma Ruthie is happy and healthy now with Our Heavenly Father. She is truly Home. While we miss her terribly, we rejoice, knowing that she is, indeed, blessed beyond belief this New Years.
As for us, we have so enjoyed the time spent with our children. Even more than we did a month ago. Witnessing their funny antics and knowing what joy their stories would bring their grandmother has made those moments all the more precious.
Contrary to other New Years of the past, we spent this holiday at the beach. Yes, it’s true!
I grew up in Southern California, yet San Diego is the mildest climate I’ve ever lived in. And we are loving it! No snow to shovel. No wet mittens and gloves to deal with.
On the morn of the 31st we picked up a dozen donuts and headed to the beach. The kids had a great time splashing in the waves and collecting shells. FishBaby even tolerated the snuggly rather well while FishChick went “offroading” in our jogging stroller. One of the highlights was seeing a dolphin swimming no more than 20 feet from shore. Amazing!
That night we cozied up with our little cocktail party: Apple Sparkly, Garlic Brie-Bread, Grilled Sausages, Veggies and Dip, and a Fruit Platter. We popped corn and watched Wall-E. We also spent hours watching reruns of The Next Food Network Star. (I could definitely get hooked on that channel!)
Then on New Year’s morn, after watching a bit of the Rose Parade, we headed — you guessed it — back to the beach! It’s true! It was foggy and breezy, not as nice as the day before, but that didn’t stop the FishBoys from jumping right in. They are crazy!
I was chilled to the bone in my hoodie and appreciated having the umbrella, not for shade, but for a windbreak.
Some of my boys, however, were half naked! But, the photos do speak a thousand words, they had a great time. And they were quick to thank us over and over for bringing them. The Lord made a good thing when He made the Beach.
Then after our New Year’s Dinner, just simple soup and biscuits, we broke out the New Year’s Cake. FishBoy4 was especially excited to hear that even though it was not his birthday, he still got to blow out the candles! Very cute, indeed.
How about you? What did you do to Ring in the New Year — with kids?
1. Write about it on your blog and bring your link back here. (For specifics on how to post in Mr. Linky, go here.) Please make sure that you link to this roundup in your post so that your readers have a chance to see all the other great ideas that will be posted here. Share the wealth!
OR
2. Share what you did it in the comments section.
Either way you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a copy of The Family Planner. Now’s the time to think about organizing your life and your family in the New Year. This planner would be a great asset to any family.
I love the clear, sturdy cover and the spiral binding that isn’t going to come undone, no matter what your toddler tries to do to it. With monthly and weekly pages as well as information pages for everyone in the family, this planner is a great tool to get things in line in 2009.
Check it out! Giveaway will be open until Tuesday night at midnight PST. Winner to be announced Wednesday morning.
Please share your ideas for New Year’s here. If you’re writing it all down, you’ll have a great resource for next year when 2010 looms big! And if you haven’t already, please visit Amy and Kate to see what great ideas they generated for our benefit.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I was home with the kids. We stayed up until midnight to watch the ball drop and drank sparling grape juice.
donna444444@yahoo.com
Thanks for the great epicurious article on “lucky foods”! Found out we’ve been doing it all wrong these past 10 years…always celebrating with chinese chicken and broccoli and sweet and sour chicken! Chicken is one of the big no-no’s!! So, changed it up a bit with Virginia ham! I can feel it…this will be our best year yet!!
thecozycountryhome.blogspot.com
We watched a couple of movies the night before, but then my whole side of the family came for our christmas celebration. We had good food, laughs and played games.
It looks like you had a fantastic 2 days. I can’t imagine how nice it would have been to spend New Year’s on the beach.
We celebrated with a very late supper of appetizers. My MIL, BIL and his girlfriend came over (as tradition). We ate and played family games until midnight. My 2 year old even stayed up and colored at the kitchen table while we played games. New Year’s Eve is my anniversary, but there’s no other way I’d want to spend it!
We had family over and took turns playing on the Wii and had lots of finger foods that kids absolutely loved.
The next day we drove 90 miles to visit some friends and they fixed fajitas and all that goes with it, had skeet shooting set up for the big kids, 4-wheelers, and lots of fun stuff for the littles. (they have 5 just like us). Then we all ate chocolate cake and ice cream and retired to different rooms to watch movies. We got home very late but it was so much fun!!
We played games with some friends. My Granddaughters were at a family party where all the kids were up till really late. The three year old is not recovering very good from that. Grumpy girl. I want to see dolphins swim by. I am so jealous. We were at the beach in New york before Christmas…freezing. Beautiful waves, but no fins to be seen.
The baby is beautiful! I haven’t seen a picture of her in awhile. Welcome back home!
Wow! Your family is growing so beautifully dear Jessica!!! And I agree, God did a great thing when He made the beach!
Great photos! How fun!!!
For New Year’s day we celebrate with our family and have dumplings and rice cakes for good luck.
chrissoolee@yahoo.com
We did the usual this New Years. I put the baby to sleep at 8. My older one to sleep at 9 and my husband and I passed out at 11. But we did order Thai food! Yum! It’s just too hard to try to stay up till midnight right now…
I would really like to try this planner system, we definitely need something!
My husband and I didn’t stay up until midnight. We haven’t in several years. It all started when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was near my due date, and there was no way I was going to stay up until midnight! The next year, our daughter wasn’t quite a year, and we were of course exhausted……. as parents, we must sleep when we can! This year was no exception! Awful isn’t it? I suppose one day of the year we could stretch ourselves.
For New Year’s we had a few friends over, watched the ball drop, and played Guitar Hero with everyone
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After church, I broke out the glow sticks for the kids and we ate snack foods and played our favorite game, Marble Chase. By 10pm my husband was asleep in the recliner, and 2 of the littles were out on the couch. At 11:30 I put the older two to bed and drug hubby to bed.
I’d love to win that planner! I could really use it for our growing family!
Thank You.
Watched the ball by my lonesome, the hubby got sick and kidos were too pooped!
One child had a fever, so we spent NY Eve, like I love to do, at HOME snuggled in bed, watching movies and snacking. Older boys went with Dad to a family friends and played board games. NY Day we had our traditional spareribs, macaroni salad—from America’s Test Kitchen (my kids will try anything if its been approved by ATK. LOL)
usually we get out for New Years Eve but this year have a 13 hour drive home from visiting family and a little one with the flu we stayed home. We snuggled up on the couch, got pizza, and instead of sparkling cider or anything else sparkling we made root beer floats! I think the floats will be a new tradition for us so the kids can enjoy too!
thanks
yellyjohnsen@yahoo.com
LOL We’re so boring! We opened our 2008 time capsule we had been maintaining all year then had “watch service” from 7-10pm. Came home put the kids to bed.
we celebrated our sons first new years by falling asleep around 9pm
we co-sleep 
We stayed home with thekids.The youngest 2 fell asleep around 11(couldn’t hang as my older 2 put it,lol).My husband’s friend from work came and they stayed up most of the night.I went to bed about 1.
My husband, my son and myself sat down and watched 10,000 BC with popcorn and Sparkling grape juice. The movie was over by 8:30 so we rested until 11:45 and watched the ball drop then went to bed. We do not do the whole party thing, do want my teenage son around alcohol so we always stay home. Thanks for doing the giveaway!!
My husband and my kids cuddled together in our bed, enjoyed Wall-E movie and just spent time together. That is priceless to me
I had a great New Year’s Eve, I took the kids to see Marley and Me at the movies and we stayed up until midnight and toasted with apple cider. I think the kids could have stayed up later, but I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I wish I had their energy.
Hubby and DD went to bed at 9:30. I tried to stay up but only made 11:00.
We celebrated by letting the kids throw “pop-its” on the patio at the late hour of 10pm before sending them off to bed!
kimschull@hotmail.com
We had sparkling cider with our boy and shot off fireworks before he went to bed an hour later. He’s only 2 so not quite ready to stay up until midnight just yet.
marie.lyman@yahoo.com
We decorated gingerbread houses! (that we got on sale for 2.50 after Christmas sale at Target)
Then after midnight we broke a peppermint pig