New Year's Eve ~2015

I have YET to post on Christmas, but today, I am sharing our fun and safe New Year's Eve with you. I also posted about our New Year's Day directly before this.  I truly do NOT make a BIG deal about New Year's Eve.  Sure, to many, ahem- the drunks - it's exciting, but to me, it's a night to prepare myself for the new year that I have been granted and focus on rest and relaxation, after a few hectic weeks of holiday chaos. BUT...inevitably I feel so much pressure to conform to celebrate the occasion.  Ty usually doesn't allow me to forget it either and that's where I guess the real pressure comes in. I had NO plans of shopping for decorations or anything, but after running into Kroger, I spotted some cute "Happy New Year" napkins and then decided, "What the heck, ugh, okay-okay, I'll pick up some napkins and sparkling red grape juice too!"

Start every NEW YEAR off with cupcakes! It's a must.

Darren started the party off right...with a pre-party! Haha.  He played a few tunes on Jax/Ty's miniature drum set.

Our dogs were quite excited about the celebration and dressed for the occasion.  Haha.  Tiara's and...

....Bow ties! Poor photography MUST MEAN it was taken with the iPhone.

I picked up these adorable photo props, LAST year, at Kirkland's at the "After Holiday Sale".  

Jax said, "I can stay up until midnight NOW because I am a man!" I guess having a mustache makes you a man.  Lilah and her daddy were standing underneath the "mistletoe" that read "Kiss me"

We sold our dining room furniture, right before Christmas.  We are turning our dining room into a family media/office/work room.  So in the meantime, I put a disco ball in their for Lilah and I to enjoy on New Year's Eve night.

I was reminded about this game, that I purchased last Easter, for Ty's Easter basket and decided that NYE night would be "THE NIGHT" that we would break it out.  

This game is really gross, but oh so funny! Basically, inside the container are jelly belly candies.  These jelly beans may look alike, but could NOT taste MORE different from each other.  Be careful! You will either choose:

Stinky Socks or Tutti-Fruitti

Lawn Clippings or Lime

Rotten Egg or Buttered Popcorn

Toothpaste or Berry Blue

Barf or Peach

Canned Dog Food or Chocolate Pudding

Booger or Juicy Pear

Moldy Cheese or Caramel Corn

Baby Wipes or Coconut

Skunk Spray or Licorice

So, we shook the container, poured out a jelly belly into each of our hands AND held onto it tight.  We counted to 3 and opened our hands. Then, we were put to the test.  WOULD we take the dare?  Oh by the way, DARREN/DADDY R.E.F.U.S.E.D to play.  WIMP!  LOL!

I thought video clips would be much more interesting to watch than to just KNOW what challenges we had to take on.  Ty was the first to go.  He got a white jelly belly.  So, it was either baby wipes or coconut. He got...

Lilah was the next one to go.  She had either lawn clippings or lime.  She ended up with...

Jax went third.  I was unable to capture it on video because I was capturing it on camera.  Pictures are worth a thousand words in this photo.  He got a green, speckled jelly belly.  So it was either a juicy pear or a booger.  Jax got... BOOGER.  Jax was sincerely mad.

I also picked a green, speckled jelly belly.  Did I get a juicy pear or a booger?  NOW, I have never eaten a booger before, that I recall, so I probably could have chewed this up and swallowed it and been fine, but it's a total mental game.  If someone tells you that's what a booger tastes like, your mind will lead you to believe that you are chewing a booger. 

Ty stopped recording, to re-record me in slow-motion. Thanks Ty! I really wanted to make my memory of BOOGER eating last as long as possible. Also, please excuse my ugliness. I 

had been cleaning for 4 straight hours.

Rotten Egg or Buttered Popcorn???

Baby wipe or coconut? Oh my Jax! He thinks he's so funny sometimes, but I am not a huge fan of that goofy act he performs in the video below.  LOL!  This video looks funny, but after I turned off the camera, he was so mad that his mouth tasted like a baby wipe and started crying.  I'd say Jax was the WORST person to play this game with.  He either gave up his turn or was mad/cried at each wrong bean he got.  

In between preparing for our uneventful evening, Darren and I spent 4 hours putting away all of the Christmas decorations.  I refused to wake up in 2016 with decorations all over the place.  Our goal was to be finished by 11 pm so we would have ONE hour to relax and enjoy the evening with the kids. Things definitely started getting very wild around 11:25 pm.  I was stunned the kids were so wide awake.  Darren, Ty, and Lilah were making some music with the NYE instruments we had.  I absolutely LOVE Lilah's smile here.  It's so real and so genuine.  She was having the time of her life.

Cheers!!! Love her!

There's no one better to ring in the New Year with than this handsome man! I am so blessed to have him.  

Daddy and Lilah got down to the beat!

You would have thought that sparkling grape juice was REAL!

Guess what time Jax AND the dogs fell asleep?  NO LIE: 11:55 pm.  I tried to wake him up, but he wasn't having it. Poor thing.

We really did make it until midnight AND we really did have a nice time together despite our lack of planning.  I know you would NEVER be able to tell we didn't have these plans ALL along, but we really did NOT. I guess we really do know how to wing it!  Happy New Year!!!