Happy New Year!

Another year snuck up and grabbed me. Can you believe it is 2010? I am sure the checks I write for the next six months will still be a 2009 crossed out with the corrected year above it. Shucks, last year I was still writing 2005 on lots of things. I don't know where time goes. But I DO know where we go for a New Year celebration!

John had to work a full day on New Year's Eve. I guess not everyone considers the night before the dawning of a new decade to be significant enough to give employees a break! Although the party at the Friends started at 4:00 PM, we arrived nearly forty-five minutes late. One can imagine our relief to find there was still delicious food left! We knew they had been grilling because brother-in-law Joe was wearing his griller apron, with a big ol' pig on the front. We knew instantly that we were in for a treat! We enjoyed some grilled chicken kabobs on warm pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and T'liese's homemade tzatziki sauce. It was divine! And I was assigned dessert...with a catch. T'liese tricked me into bringing something healthy by making it seem like a challenge. I took her on and then some by utilizing my new nine-inch tart pan to make a fruit tart from scratch. It was delicious, and not too shabby for a first attempt! I also made a healthy apple crisp, which may have become slightly less healthy when we put a scoop of Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream on top. T'liese had invited some friends from church as well, and we enjoyed our evening together! The men played Bocce Ball (except the single game T'liese and I played where we beat the boys) in the park next to their home. What a fun game! It will be on my Amazon wish list! After it got too dark to play outside, we lost some of the couples who needed to go home for their kids. I can't help but wonder if this is the last time we will have just the six of us without some little munchkins joining in on the fun. Megan is due in two weeks, and T'liese four weeks behind her. Yipppeee!

We played Scattergories and The Ungame, and before we knew it the New Year had arrived. We hadn't planned on staying that late (John and I were fast asleep by 10:00 PM last year!), but the time escaped us because we were having such a great time. I tell ya, it sure is nice being so close to family. We drank a toast with Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Juice before calling it a night.

Here's to 2010!