New Year's Eve Fun!

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-PY NEW YEAR! 

Our friends drove 4 hours (wait more like 6 hours between their stops for car sickness, bad weather, etc.) with 3 little ones to ring in the new year with us! It was an impromptu decision that went sort of like this: 

Deanna: "Hey! What are you guys doing for New Years?"

Me: "Probably falling asleep at 9pm like we did the last 4 years" "Nothing!!!! You guys should totally drive here and we can celebrate together!!!!"

Deanna: "Okay, I'll talk it over with the boss." (okay maybe she didn't call him 'the boss'.)

And next thing you know they're on their way to visit! Brave souls they are driving that far with 3 little people!!! The furthest we've driven with all the kids is about 2.5 hours and that's the way it's going to be for a while THANK-YOU-VERY-MUCH! ;) 

We met this beautiful family in Ukraine while we were adopting Sofia and they were adopting their sweet son! It has been such a blessing to have them as friends and share life with, even if they're a bit more than a hop-skip-and a jump away! It's a beautiful thing having another family who is walking out the (sometimes difficult) path that we share thanks to our adoption experiences!

Take a peek at their son's beautiful redemption! 

The mamas are making fondue and Aaron is supervising ;) I think fondue will be our new New Year's Eve tradition....can't take credit for the idea (that was all Deanna), but it was a super one! 

This cutie pie was in charge of the TV ;) 

Zoya was plugging her ears from the sound of the horns....girl knows how to party, right? HAHA :) 

Now THIS girl knows how to party! 

And this picture just makes me laugh :) We are so thankful for these two friends! 

The "big kids" table! 

And the "bigger kids" table! (sprinkled the littlest kids!)

Dance party! 

W.I.L.D! :)

This little dude is a pretty awesome little dancer who can shake his hips better than the rest! 

Ribbon streamers! Check out Mila cracking up in the brown chair! 

Daddies make the best dance partners! 

A new tradition we started this year: Roast and Toast :) We roasted marshmallows over the fire and had some sparkling juice! C said his was spicey, so he was looking at Zoya here to see her reaction next! 

This is one of my favorite pictures! C is such a little love bug! He loved roasting the marshmallows! His mama told him no more and we turned around a few seconds later and he had a whole marshmallow in his mouth. When Deanna asked him where he got it he replied with a mouth full of marshmallow, "Zoya!" 

Getting sleepy! We had the "kids new year" at about 7:30 and then off to bed! 

Zoya was chilling out in the corner with her headphones afraid that the new year celebration would be loud! She only retreated to the corner for a short little break and then was ready to hang some more! Love her progress! 

Waiting for the balloon drop...

I put some confetti and a "fun idea" inside of each balloon. The kids each got to pop one balloon and read what the note inside said! 

Girls just wanna have fun!

The "big kids" played outside with the Daddies while the babies napped and Deanna and I took a few pictures and made hot cocoa to warm up all the big kids! 

I love this action shot with the dog "cheesing" haha!

Shawn is a big kid at heart! 

I love her sweet lil profile and that adorable nose! Those eyelashes are to die for! 

My happy girl LOVES the snow! 

This is my new favorite picture!! Deanna took this one and I swear I'm going to keep looking at it for the remaining 5 months of winter we'll likely have....it reminds me how much I love living here with this beautiful snow (even though I do have to keep reminding myself of that when I find myself daydreaming of being on a warm and sunny beach!)

B, burried in a snow mound! Just another day in paradise ;) 

Aaron and Shawn took turns pulling the three big kids around on the sled!

Poor Mya! She LOVES playing in the snow but I have to blow dry the snowballs off her fur when she comes in! 

King of the Mountain!!! 

Time to frost cookies! 

I loved watching them frost....they each had their own method and style :) 

Mmmmmm Good! 

Frost a little.....eat a little.....frost a little....eat a little......eat a little......eat a little..... ;)

A. and Sofia were so cute playing with the piggy bank together! 

We had so much fun with these guys! They left just before the worst of the weather hit and had a rough ride home, but we're so thankful they made it here and back safely! Can't wait for our next visit....maybe at a beach somewhere??!!! :)