Celebrating a new year

We had a big party at Marianne and Robert's house on New Year's Eve.  When we were growing up, my mom called Marianne the party girl because she was always either planning or having a party.  (My mom should have called me the leave me alone girl, because that was more my scene, but she didn't.  She's nice like that.)  So it was fitting that the big party was at Marianne's.

I snapped this photo of Enoch before we went to Marianne's.  He had come straight from basketball practice and was accidentally still wearing his whistle.

It was a very fitting shirt for him to be wearing.  If my kids played basketball, I'd want him to be their coach. He is a good and kind coach and his team wins a lot and he's (mostly) unflappable when some of the girls on his team cry.

New Year's Eve is also Morgan's birthday so we celebrated that a little before things got underway.

See the chaos in the background?  That was pretty much the situation.  Look at that dear boy's smile though.  How we love Morgan and are grateful he's part of us now.

Braeden wore his horse head.  Because what's a party without a horse head?

We snacked on a kitchen full of any and every kind of food you associate with parties.  It was quite a spread.  After awhile, things got glamorous.

Enoch and Jennifer

I think my dad was determining which props to use.

Here's what he came up with.

Ammon was feeling sort of lonely without Melanee--who was at my parents', putting their little ones to bed.

Emma and Braeden

So glam they sweat glitter:  Clarissa, Liberty, Emma and Desi

Up until the last second, Edgar had a prop too.  I love that Olivia married someone with an even stronger will than her own.  He won't be pushed around.  And they make a cute couple.

double 'stache

I'm not sure what kind of caption to put here.  I should point out that we're Mormons and there was no alcohol at this shin dig. 

Another cute couple

Don't you hate it when you think the lips are covering yours and then they aren't?  Also, did I marry the Monopoly man?  If so, I want $200 for passing GO and my Get Out of Jail Free card.

We had had a great time laughing and playing games, but there is always someone that wimps out on the party early.  And by someone, I mean me.  At 11:00, my parents took me home.  They were fine to leave too.  I would say that it's because I'm old but I didn't like staying up all that late when I was a teenager either.  I figured it was midnight in Utah, where I now reside, so Happy New Year, I'm going to bed.

On New Year's Day we had a big dinner at my parents' house.  Here's the table in the sunroom--and there was another table set inside for some of the kids (the tweens--they are OK on their own, unlike the littles, and OK not being with the adults, unlike the teenagers).

My mom is amazing.

Here's a parting shot, a random picture of two happy boys, squinting in the cold bright sunshine.

Where are the redhead's shoes?