New Year's Eve 2014

For New Year's Eve our friends invited us to their house with a few other families for a little party.  They told us to bring white elephant gifts for each person.  So, Nick and I looked around the house for different items to take with us.  I had remembered I had purchased this fuse bead craft kit from Savers and hadn't ever pulled it out so I thought it would be great.  Well, I pulled it out and Trevor said, "Hey, I love those...don't give that away!"(See picture below)  I told him he could try to win it from the white elephant exchange and bring it home.    

 I also thought it would be great to take a snack to share so I thought making stuffed pretzel bites would be delicious...well, they probably would have been but I learned first hand there is a huge difference between wax paper and parchment paper!  They were stuck so bad that they were a total waste...lesson learned!  Nick though made Oreo truffles and they were a hit!    

The white elephant exchange for the kids...

 Ellie got to be first...

 She got a "Frozen" lunch box with puzzle and she was so excited.  Well, I made the mistake of saying 

"Ellie will start crying if you take this from her."  My intention wasn't to dissuade others from taking it but to let them know it would be all right if she cried.  Well, everyone was very kind and didn't take it away but I felt silly for saying what I said...oops!  

 Jacob's turn...

 He got a girls headband and a girls lunch box...it was so funny!

 Then someone opened up the beads...

 and Trevor stole them and ended up bringing them home!  It made me laugh!  

 Donut eating contest...which the kids loved!  Before Jacob started we kept telling him, Jacob you can't use your hands...he kind of remembered!  

 Trevor's turn...

 Nick and I

 And for the adult white elephant gift exchange these hats that Brian Steed brought were a hit!  They were hilarious!

 Ellie playing with the set of bowls I got.

 Ellie and I left the party about 9:30 so Ellie could go to bed.  

Here is Ellie's last picture of 2014, with her lunchbox!  

 Then, Nick and the boys came home around 11:15...they celebrated at the Hutchings at 11 pm.  Then we stayed up and watched the ball drop at midnight!  Trevor and Jacob stayed up the whole time and loved that they got to stay up.  Here is our family picture (sans Ellie) after we yelled Happy New Year and blew noise makers.  

What a wonderful 2014 we had!  We are excited to see what 2015 brings!