Welcome 2013!

I love our New Year's Eves at home with the boys. In the past, I've wished I were dressing up and heading out. But this year, I really owned this night for what it's become: our family's New Year's tradition. A night in, together, ringing in the new year. This year we made paper crowns, ordered Chinese food, started a fire, watched a movie and shook our noise makers at midnight (also known as 9:00pm). 

My favorite thing is our newest tradition -- we started a New Year Notebook. At the top of the page I wrote 2012, and we filled the page in with all of our favorite memories from the year. The list ranged from our new house and new friends to vacations and learning to tie shoes and our new tree swing. Then we turned the page and at the top I wrote 2013. We filled that page with our hopes and dreams and even some resolutions for the new year. William and Henry each drew a self portrait on a page too. I asked them to draw themselves just how they see themselves "now". Henry's is detailed right down to the pajamas he's wearing and William's is cute with giant round eyes and is missing hands and feet. I love them both and can't imagine how they will change by next year. I hope this tradition sticks. As terrible as I am with record keeping, it will be nice to have a once-a-year glance at our years past and hopes for the future.

Happy New Year, everyone!