Happy New Year

The whole group all together (from left to right) Wyat, Seth, Lincoln, Ella, Tate, and Ian

I love the sweet friendship between these two.

The only problem with trying to do what your older cousin does . . . unexpected bumps in the ride.

Ella and Tate, both the oldest kids in their family.

We celebrated New Years Eve -Eve (no that isn't a typo) with my sister and her family and my Mom and Dad. They all drove up to our house so we could have our family Christmas together.  Being that Dad is a preacher man he was unable to come up for the actual New Years Eve, which is ok. In the end, it all worked out. 
After all, more important than the day we get together is the fact that we actually get together. It's nice that my family is flexible. Troy's is too. I guess we really lucked out that way. So it makes for a stress-less holiday season.
As anyone with kids knows though, it's the kids that really make the holiday fun.  I mean, why go through the hassle of actually wrapping a present when there are attractive gift bags that are quicker and easier? 
Except, it is so much fun to watch the kids tear the wrapping off of their gift and watch their eyes light up when they see what is in the box underneath the paper.
We managed to have just enough snow in the yard while the niece and nephews were here for all of the kids to enjoy a little sledding out in the back yard.  It was pretty funny to watch the kids ride their sleds down the barely snow covered backyard steps. They seemed to really enjoy the bumpy ride. This is where my kids usually sled, but normally the stairs are covered with enough snow that it forms a sleek slope that is bump free for them to glide down.  My kids are a little more rough and tumble than my sisters kids, so I was a little concerned as I was watching them slide down our barely snow covered slopes. I just kept praying that if they fell off of the sled, their hat would be thick enough to protect their little skull when it hit the exposed rocks and branches in the yard.  Happily, other than one face wash for my littlest nephew, the sledding commenced without mishap but with lots of laughter and smiles. It warms my heart to see my sons and my niece and nephews get along so well. And I am thankful that even though we are separated by enough miles that keep us from getting together regularly, we get together often enough to cultivate a relationship between these kids. 
They're pretty good kids too.
So Happy New Year, and I hope you all have opportunities to enjoy some sweet time with your family throughout this year.