Traditions ...

Happy New Year Everyone!  I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve doing whatever makes you happy *smile*

We have lots of traditions during the holidays ... one very special tradition is spending New Year's Eve with Ken and Lisa.  We usually cook dinner, play games and do a fare amount of drinking lol .. we've been celebrating New Year's Eve with Ken and Lisa for 20+ years.   It started out being a big family thing, with their two boys and our two boys, playing games all night long and the kids always wanting to stay up for midnight.  Over the years our New Year's Eve celebration has dwindled to just the four of us ... kids do grow up and have their own parties to go to .. but we still have lots of fun!  This year we decided to go out to dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse and then home for some dessert and games and wait for midnight to come.  It's a tradition I hope never ends!

Here's a few pictures that always make me smile ...

another tradition I started back in 2007 is adding the year to my Happy New Year pillow ... it's always my last stitches for that year.  I'm enjoying watching the years grow ...

I forgot in my last post to share our family Santa picture with you.  Another tradition that has been going on for 31 years ... our first family Santa picture was taken when Chris was 7 months old.  When Monica joined the family (7 years ago) I had thought it would be a good time to stop the pictures ... but no, my wonderful daughter in law wanted to join in the family tradition ... and I'm sooooo very glad she did.

I'm really looking forward to 2014 ... I'm calling it the year that is all about me because I'm turning 60 on the 11th of January and am planning on celebrating it all year long with family and friends ... and in September, Lisa and I (Lisa turns 60 in May) are going to Paris for 5 days to celebrate turning 60 together.  We've known each other since high school, longer than Terry and I have known each other ... and I'm looking forward to sharing Paris together ... it will be our first visit.

Terry was ok about me going without him but reminds me that in 2015 we'll be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary ... think he wants to go to Paris too *smile*

I hope 2014 is a great year for all of you ... make it so!

I hope you find your Joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for family and friends ...