Happy New Year!

I'm so excited for 2018 because that means 2017 is OVER!  My top three worst years were 2008 (Lindsey died), 2010 (Mom died) and 2017 (we built/opened a practice, had a baby, had skin cancer/radiation all at the same time).  I have a feeling 2018 is going to be a good year but still hard as we work our tails off getting the practice running at a pace where we actually make money off of it.  But that's a post for another day.  I was all about celebrating our survival of 2017 so this was our biggest New Year's Eve party to date.  Plus, I'm a sucker for tradition so I had to throw this party even though I really just wanted to skip it and go to bed.

We invited a bunch of families over and I figured some of them would have other plans but everyone ended up coming.  Plus, they brought all their kids.  Usually the teenagers are off doing their own thing but since it was a Sunday this party became a family party.  I did a headcount and we had 60 people at our house.  A new record!

Randy made two, yes two, newspaper balls full of candy and toys.  One ball was for the younger kids to rip into and the other was for the older kids.  No one got hurt and only a few kids cried.  The cleanup of all the paper filled seven garbage bags.  That's a lot of wrapping paper (Randy doesn't use newspaper so I guess I should call it wrapping paper balls instead).

Bean (with the help of Marcus) ripped that thing to shreds.  I was a little embarrassed by their ferociousness.

The cute little kids ready to go crazy on that ball

Parker went CRAZY!!  He got more loot than anyone.  I was surprised.  He usually holds back or lets his brothers fight for him.

 We played Kahoot.  It's an online quiz game that you use your phone to lock in your answers which meant all the teenagers thought it was fun.

Marcus's team won but I'm not sure how since they didn't get as many questions right.

The teenagers playing Bang.  ( a Mafia type card game)

Then we kicked all the kids out and the adults played our 80's Trivia Game.  We had some good laughs and I impressed everyone with my impeccable knowledge of 1980's television sitcoms.  Apparently my mom let us watch a lot more TV than everyone else.  Bless her.  Or maybe I just have a good memory but that's doubtful.

Randy decided we needed a bigger ball to drop so he wrapped a sled in lights and rigged it up for the midnight ball drop.  It was hilarious and very Clark W. Griswald.

Our driveway full of people, cars, confetti, and noise.   And the sled of lights on the flagpole turned sideways so it looked even more pathetic.

Here's our final countdown and I'm the worst because I turned my camera sideways so you'll have to turn your head.  Oh well.

Happy New Year!  It's going to be a good one.  I can feel it!