Auld Lang Syne - 2012

Every New Years Eve, and every day in between, when I hear the song "Auld Lang Syne", my eyes well with tears. 

Listening to it right now, as I write this post, I'm becoming filled with emotion.

Why?!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and days of auld lang syne?

Auld lang syne means times long past - the good old days...but, should old acquaintances be forgotten?

  Every time I sing or hear these words, it causes me to reflect on the days I'm leaving behind.   To reflect on my family, friends, and loved ones...to reflect on the good days gone by.

Pizza, Pool, and People we love -

That's how we said good-bye to 2012 and welcomed in 2013.  

2nd year in a row now we've celebrated New Years Eve with our kids.  Escaping to a hotel, spending the night swimming and laughing with people we love.  It's becoming a tradtion.

This year, Uncle Andy, Aunt Jenny, Kyleigh and Kole joined us in celebration.

We do the whole hotel thing for the kids, and I'm here to tell you, the kids had a blast!  

The kiddos "cheering" in the new year with sparkling grape juice!

Mia's first New Year's Eve!

Daddy and Mason

Smiling Kole!

Me and my baby boy!

Kyleigh and Aunt Jenny

The kids had so much fun being together - jumping on the bed, eating junk food, playing games (I Spy, Operation, Guess Who, Hide and Seek), eating junk food, giggling, eating junk food, wearing Stompies and party hats, eating junk food, swimming, eating junk food, being wild (maybe because of the junk food?), and just having a grand ol' time.  And while the kids had their New Years Eve fun, the adults tried to play a game...the keyword being "tried".  The kiddos over took the little hotel room, so the grown ups ended up just laying on the bed watching the kids have their New Years Eve fun.

 It's not that Kevin and I don't want to go out and party with the grown-ups, but for the past couple of years, it's just felt right to be with our kids.  Closing the old year and opening the new year with our kids is what we've wanted to do.  It feels good to be together as a family...to look back together on all that the year has brought us and look forward to what is still to come.

"Years end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on..." - Oprah Winfrey

Being thankful for this life and all that we've been given, I am looking forward to discovering and exploring all that lies ahead for us in 2013.