... And a Happy New Year

New Year's Eve, I borrowed a couple of movies from the library and made an appetizer style dinner and cookies. Around 11pm, we all went outside for a fire and fireworks.

Will and Kyle were acting like teenage boys (big surprise, right?).

We had a lot of sparklers, and Russ was determined to burn them all that night so he wouldn't have any left in his closet. The kids delivered on that wish.

Kallie didn't like the loud fireworks.

At midnight, we had our grand finale and drank Martinelli's. All the kids made it past midnight without any tantrums... it was a happy new year!

New Year's Day, we went to Tempe Town Lake.

On the Mill Ave. bridge, we sat in more than one of the porticos.

These two were too cool for the porticos.

I thought this was funny.

Paige skated almost the whole way... I was so proud!

Kyle had a lot of energy to burn and kept running ahead and then running back. We like to say, "Run Forrest!"

The boys couldn't manage to climb this tree, so Russ decided to show them how it's done... or not.

I told you he had a lot of energy.

This sculpture reminded me of string cheese. This is right before Kyle biffed it the first time of many.

I was impressed by the New Year's sky, so I took a picture and called it "Phoenix."

A waterfall by the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Russ' grandpa, Papa J, always used to have steak and champagne on New Year's because of his theory that if you eat like a rich person on the first day of the year, you will set your mind up to become that rich person during the year. He died a couple of years back, but we adopted his tradition and think of him every New Year's Day... only we subbed ribs for steak and Martinelli's for the champagne. Crash hot potatoes, homemade corn bread, and salad rounded out a fabulous New Year's feast!