NEW YEARS TRADITION

We have a couple of traditions for Christmas as I’ve mentioned in previous blog post. New Years is no different. Something we started several years ago is spending the night at a good friend’s house our children refer to as their Uncle, Aunt and cousins. We have three girls, and they have five and one boy. All are older than my youngest, and my two youngest ones just eat up all the attention they give them. My husband has been friends with their father since his teens, so when we started having kids, it was only natural to start calling them Aunt and Uncle.

I’ll never forget at one of our family parties my sister made a comment to her oldest son that one of our friend’s daughters was cute. He looked at her and said, “Ewe, their our cousins.” You see, since our kids have always called them Aunt and Uncle, all the kids just assumed they were related. Another incident that took me by surprise was the time my oldest daughter looked at me and said, “Exactly how are they related to us?”

So our New Year Tradition has been on the years my husband isn’t working (he’s a fireman and paramedic) that we spend New Year’s Eve at their house. We have dinner together, usually ordering pizza, play games, watch TV, and talk. One traditional game we play has been passing the presents. You know, Mr. Righty (give your present to the person on the right) went down the street and turned to the left (give your gift to the person on the left), and so on. By the end of the story, several presents have passed through your hands and the one you have when the story ends, is the one you keep.

When midnight hits, whoever is a wake wishes all a Happy New Year as we drink sparkling grape juice. Not long after the adults hit the sack, my husband and I taking one of the children’s rooms while most of the kids snuggle up in the living room to watch a DVD, each year staying up later then the last.

The following morning our friends make breakfast for all. When one has six kids, feeding a few extra mouths is no problem. They’ve got that down to a science. Organized, efficient, working together as a team is something I’ve come to notice takes place with larger families. Just as counting your kids before leaving wherever you’re at to ensure you haven’t forgotten anyone. Funny how having five dogs in the house this Holiday season had me doing the same thing when letting them in. Didn’t want anyone left out in the cold.

I’m truly thankful for the friends God has placed in our lives.

What New Years Tradition do you have?