A good start to 2009

After Brendan and Jordan got home from work, we started out the evening celebrations by going down to Fat Cats in Provo for bowling and dinner. Nicole beat us all the first round. I was just thrilled to beat Brendan for the first time that I can remember in anything! It didn't last for long as I came in dead last for round 2. I was pathetic! Even more pathetic was the fact that I forgot my camera. We stopped to buy some "bubbly" at the store and at Krispy Kreme to get 800 calorie doughnuts. Brendan's mom, one his brothers and two of his sisters came by for a super fun and competitive night of games.

We'll never be able to say the word "stable" again without thinking of Brendan screaming to his team "NO!!!! THE OTHER WORD FOR BARN!!!!) You had to be there. Brian got a little carried away with the noise makers and scared half our neighborhood. Sorry neighbors for the obnoxious sound coming out our back door at midnight.

Cassie wasn't able to quite hold out. She found a little corner to hide and curl up.

Brian and Jack each doing their "Jiggy dance" for the new year.

Jessica and Jake...the Scattergories champions hands down!

We toasted to two upcoming 2009 high school graduates!

We also toasted to two new healthy babies to be born this coming year (not ours!), to the first of the next generation of missionaries in our family and that Jordan would be called to serve somewhere where it's warm year round, to Jessica surviving another hot summer in Arizona, to Jake surviving his first year in high school, to Jack getting potty trained, and lot's of other funny things pertaining to everyone that was here.

On New Year's Day we attempted to go see a movie with all of Brendan's siblings and their spouses. It ended up being quite an ordeal and after hours of phone calls back and forth, cancelled and rescheduled babysitting, ticket buying fiasco's and everything else that could go wrong, 10 out of the 14 of us that live here ended up enjoying what I thought was a very good movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." It was 3 hours and a bit drawn out, but I thought it was one of those movies that you really savor. When it was over Joel said, "What time is it...like 11 pm?" The movie started at 4. I loved it and so did Brendan and highly recommend it. Joe on the other hand said, "Ok, I was thinking, Turn into a baby, already!" You gotta love the guys.

2009 is a year that I have anticipated and dreaded for a long time as I will see my first born graduate from high school, go off to college, and on to his mission! It's certainly going to be a rollercoaster ride. I'm not sure I want to get in the line.