1 Family x 12 (Jan)

 

Technically this was from the last few days of December, but I'm counting it as our Jan family photo!  First ski trip of the 2024/2025 winter is in the books and we're so ready for real snow around here.

New Years Eve 2024

After spending the day skiing the day before NYE, we figured everyone would be happy for a day of sleeping in and just bumming around the house.  We spent New Years Eve with the boys being in charge of the smoker, the kids wanting to try to ice skate and hide some rocks they painted on the ATV tails and Jamie and I found ourselves at the cutest little store (on the way back from a quick trip to Sullivans for the last minute things we forgot).

Jamie found this tiny little crystal store in the middle of nowhere and it was the most wonderful way to prep for the New Year.  We picked out crystals that leaned into our intentions for the year ahead.  My picks included finding inner peace, feeling confident and comfortable in the changes I've set in motion and there were quite a few that focused on relieving stress and finding balance - things I'm ALWAYS striving for.  We picked out one rock for each kid too and figured the men would just make fun of us and didn't need some of their own.  I would 1000% recommend, and will 100000% be making a return trip whenever we're out this way.  It was so unexpected and fun.

As I'd hoped, the kids loved having other kids around to hang out with and we had a great time playing games and just doing less with Jamie and Zach.  We hang out with them often...nearly every week, but we realized we don't often vacation just the 8 of us!  We camp together and vacation together, but we're often in much bigger groups.  

We played Sevens and Jamie and I knit.  We caught up on blog posts to finish off the year and generally spent time just listening to music and playing with the kids.

On top of that, I organized hourly games for the kids on NYE starting around 4pm.  We did a game each hour until 11pm when we celebrated New Years on Eastern time with the kids and then got them in bed.  In fairness, I had these planned for Christmas Day and we sort of forgot about them.  So it was an easy pivot to NYE.

The games were a great add.  It kept the evening moving, kept the kids (and adults) entertained and gave us something to do.  

Oh!  I nearly forgot.  I didn't get any photos of it, but the adults even played flip cup.  Ryan and I were the champions, winning 2 out of three of the games.  I haven't played flip in a LONG time - I'm not nearly cool enough, or good enough to play it often.  But it was really fun.

The final activity of the night was for each kid to decorate a paper lantern that we'd send up into the night's sky.  

I am SO glad I grabbed a few photos of the kids wishes for 2025.  There are some real gems in here!

The boys managed lantern lighting on the back deck - and while I'm glad we did it...I have to say it wasn't our best lift off on the lanterns.  We were slightly worried they'd burn something - they barely left the deck and one even got stuck in the tree right next to the porch.

The kids were fully tapped by 11pm so I'm glad we didn't let them stay up til real mid-night.  Jamie and I made it to mid-night but I was fully asleep by 12:45.  The boys on the other hand...they had other plans.  And may have regretted it the next day...but they both contend that that's what NYE is meant for.  

One of the best New Years Eve's we've had in year, in my opinion!!