Bring on the New Year!

It is hard to believe that we are upon the new year already but here we are, ready and excited to take on 2016!  

2015 was definitely a year of transitions for our family with the beginning of the year getting into our groove as a family of 5, then, making the big move to California, being homeless for the second half of the year, selling our Texas home and then finally buying a new home in San Diego.  

We finished 2015 with a fun but chilly morning at the park (it was in the low 50s but that definitely calls for winter jackets, mittens and beanies here in San Diego) and then celebrated New Year's Eve at 6:30 p.m.while watching last year's ball drop on YouTube with everyone in bed by 8:30...and when I say everyone, I mean even Rich and myself!  Julia actually ended up waking up at 11:45 so technically the two of us were up for the new year but you can't really count that as a celebration!

 On New Year's Day we headed up to my parents' home in the morning and were there for the day.  It was a fun day of football, food, family and a little Polar Bear Plunge!

 We heated up the spa for them and they had a blast!

Joseph then decided he wanted to take a real polar bear plunge and jumped in and swam across the big pool-brrr!  

 Ella, of course, had to follow, but she wouldn't go further than the step.

Julia wanted to get in on the action, too.  I didn't pack a swim diaper for her so tried to keep her in her diaper and shirt but that didn't last long and soon enough she was in naked for short spurts!

 A little baseball while waiting for the turkey and ribs to finish cooking.

 The kids were playing with play-doh and we looked over and found them licking the glass and then sticking the play-doh to it...gross!  I caught Cole in action!

 A New Year's tradition from my mom's side of the family is the peppermint pig.  The peppermint pig comes in a small red velvet bag and you pass the bag around the table and everyone hits the bag with a little hammer breaking the pig into small pieces.  As you break the pig you are to think of your wish for the new year and then you open up the bag and everyone eats a piece of the pig.  The kids really got into it!

We wish for a happy and healthy 2016 filled with lots of love and laughter.