New Years Eve

On New Years 2013 we invited my parents over. I loved when my whole family used to get together every year for a New Years sleepover. But now with all of my nephews and nieces being teenagers, they tend to do their own things. 

We had so much fun having them over but I felt bad when they had to drive home so late at night. 

So this year, having an even smaller place, I knew it made way more sense to go to their house. 

I asked if they wanted to celebrate together again and they said yes. 

And my mom had the same idea- we could do it at their house instead and we could sleep over. 

The day of Doug had been working a lot and felt like just staying home and finishing up the things he needed to get done and then relaxing.

So the girls and I drove down to my parents house. 

I brought along the balloons and money to go in them and my dad blew them up for me after I put the money in. I numbered them and stuck them on their tree. 

This is my countdown tradition. 

We let someone pop a balloon through the night at different times.
The balloons are numbered so that you have to pick out a number and pop that balloon and keep whatever is in it- usually ranging from 5 cents to $1.

We brought a few games. Abi really wanted to show Grandma our new Disney one so they played it together. 

We had yummy food for dinner and ice cream sundaes and played lots of games and watched movies. 

Maddy with her balloon. 

And her prize...

It was such a fun evening!

At some point I broke out the glow sticks. No party is complete without glow sticks...

And our Christmas crackers because we always open them on Christmas night and New Years Eve. 

We also all wear polka dots for good luck. 

She loves her Grandpa!

You have to wear your crown after popping your cracker. 

We also always open a new game on New Years Eve so I brought it along and let Abi open it. 

It is the new Family Edition of Trivial Pursuit with cards for adults and cards for kids. 

It is SO much fun!!

Pretty soon Maddy started getting tired and said she wanted to go take a "nap". 

(Funny story- at about 4am she woke up and started going out the bedroom door. I asked her where she was going and she acted surprised that I was in there with her. She said she was done with her nap and would go back down to countdown until midnight. I had to break it to her that it was now morning and she needed to go back to sleep. )

The rest of us watched some of the countdown on tv and got ready to toast with some sparkling cider. 

Welcome 2015!!!