Good Bye 2015....Hello 2016!

     So, since we moved here we have been told the Germans really go out for New Year's Eve.  Ok, ya ya, sure...well come to find out, it's TRUE!  During the day we didn't do much, kind of just hung out. Around 7ish we headed over to our German friend's house for their traditional German Raclette dinner.  It was a lot of fun coming up with different combinations to grill and roast.  Very tasty too!         After dinner, they showed us how to play the game Bleigießen, which pretty much is melting down a piece of metal (usually lead or tin) in a spoon above a burning candle.  Then, once melted, drop the liquid metal into a bowl of ice water.  Next, you decide on what shape the metal has taken.  On the back of the package there is a huge list of predictions for the new year depending on what shape the metal is.  
      When we had all had our turn, we filled our flutes with champagne, grabbed the packages of fireworks (and I mean the REAL kind, with rockets, not just firecrackers!) and headed out to the street where the rest of our neighborhood was already celebrating.
     It wasn't even midnight yet and fireworks were lighting up the night sky everywhere we looked.  
BOOM.....Blue! BANG......Red!  POP......Green!
     Everyone was setting them off, I was surprised even some of the kiddos were too.  They hubby even showed Liam how to light a few.  Kinley got to wave around some pretty sparklers.  We were all having a great time!  When midnight finally came around, we all toasted each other with a "Happy New Year!"  We, and I mean, the hubby, Kinley and I stayed up to almost 2:00AM, while Liam headed to bed around 1:00AM-ish.      It was an A-MAZ-ING New Year's Eve, definitely one to remember!  We can't wait till next year to do it all again!

The first one I did...Potatoes, Onions, Bacon, Mushrooms, and some Brie

Another one...Roasted Corn, Green Onions, Bacon, Steak, and some Goat Cheese.

Tiny bubbles!

My handsome Hubby!

Liam playing some Mine Craft!

My little cutie!

Our awesome neighbors!

Time for some 2016 Predictions

Our friend Olli got a Spoon!

I got a Goose!

Firecracker, firecracker, boom...Boom....BOOM!

Ringing in the New Year with a glass of champagne!

Hope your New Year's Eve was fabulous.

Cheers to 2016!

Happy New Year!

     Wow! Can you believe it's already 2014?! Craziness!  How did you spend your New Year's Eve?  We stayed home and chilled.  I busted out the Happy New Year party hats and tieras, beads, horns, and poppers.

Kinley liked wearing her party gear

Liam like doing the poppers and reading the jokes

Dinner time!

Even our kitty Sparky wishes you a Happy New Year

After the kiddos went to bed, I made up a yummy cheese tray for the hubby and I

We popped the champagne and watched the ball drop in New York.

New Year's Day we still had some champagne left,

so I made good use of it with a Mimosa with breakfast!

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope 2014 brings you a happy healthy year!

Time to go back home?

     Well, it was the morning of the 27th, Christmas had come and gone which meant it was time for us to drive back home.....however those plans were changed when we decided for the kiddos and I to stay in Texas with my family and the hubby drive back home to work.  The reason for the change in plans...well, Liam was full blown sick, Kinley and I were starting to catch it.  So we stayed behind so mom could help me out with the kiddos while I tried to get better myself.  Plus I wanted to take them to the doctor to check them out, but all they told me was that it was a cold and just had to run its course.  So our extended stay consisted of many, many Vicks Vapor baths, lots of Tylenol for fevers, boxes and boxes of tissues, wrestling with Kinley to put saline drops in her nose so I could suction out the boogers, purchases of two cool mist humidifiers, and a few nights of sleeping upright with Kinley laying on my chest so she could breath.  Thank goodness I stayed, mom took care of and slept with Liam at night while I took care of Kinley.  I was sooo happy when they FINALLY started to feel better, of course it was the last two days of our stay before the hubby drove back to San Antonio to pick us up and take us back to Las Cruces.  I did take a few pictures...

One of the many Vick's bubble baths

Kinley hanging out in the bathroom with us

My little sick...just wanted Momma

Playing on the floor with MeeMaw & Aunt Alicia

Day out shopping and lunch with Aunt Alicia

Hanging out with PapPaw

Loving on Nana

Playing with Legos

Picnic & Movie night on MeeMaw's bed

A glass of sparkling grape juice for New Year's Eve

3...2...1....HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All dressed up for New Year's Day

Home made Popovers filled with German pudding & 

OJ for New Year's Day breakfast

Our New Year's Day Feast!

Pictures with Ina & Uncle Lance

The day before we left we met up with my sister and 

some friends at Bakery Lorraine for coffee & French Macarons

After our treats we went outside for a little bit

     After extending our trip by 12 days the hubby drove back to pick us all up on January 7th and we drove back home to New Mexico.  It was a LONG drive home!  We finally rolled into our driveway around 2am (Mountain Time) but to the kiddos and I it really felt like 3am (Central Time).  The next two days we just hung out at home catching up on sleep, unpacking, and just relaxing.  It was good to be around family but sure is nice to be home.