Ringing in 2011

Hello all!!! Apparently, I'm starting my post after the first picture, because I can't figure out how to type normally with the cursor above the picture - it shows up underlined and in blue. I love Blogger, but they keep changing things around, and I am not techno-savvy enough to figure out these details! Anyway, I am hoping to have a little time tonight to relax and watch TV with my husband - something we haven't done in a very long time, so I'm not going to spend any more time on this issue!! We rang in the New Year in a very unexpected way this year. We didn't have any plans, since our beach trip was cancelled, so we had spent the week getting things done around the house and playing with the girls' new toys. On New Year's Eve, a sweet friend invited us to a New Year's Eve party!! It happened to be right around the corner from our house, so we decided to ditch the evening of cooking lasagna that we'd planned, and threw together a quick pesto croissant dish, so we would at least not show up unannounced to a stranger's house empty-handed! I even found great, new, hot pink party outfits the girls had been given for Christmas! We had a great time getting to know some of our neighbors who were also there, and I enjoyed the good food while Cline chased Abby Kate around. We partied hard until the ripe old time of..... 8:15 p.m., when we decided life would be easier for everyone if we left and put Abby Kate to bed. Anyway, here are some pictures of our evening. Above is Christa preparing to party by doing what she's been doing since Christmas morning - playing with her new princesses and castle furniture.

Abby Kate scored a sip of her sister's Sprite, and thought it was goo-oood!

Trying to capture a family picture while we're ready for a night on the town around the corner from our house!

This picture was taken at about 11:50 p.m. Guess who took it?? That's right - the 28-week pregnant lady who loves a 9 p.m. bedtime and actually stayed up on her own!! (She also thoroughly enjoyed the 1-2 hours of quiet she had leading up to this moment to straighten and organize the house at her uninterrupted leisure)!! I did wake Cline up right after I took this picture, and we rang in the New Year together. I also did not begrudge him this rest, because he has been busily helping me with the girls and around the house all week long!

We are looking forward to great things in 2011 and are so grateful for all of the wonderful memories we made in 2010!! I have started moving things around in the girls' closets and putting the things I will need for the baby in a big pile to be dealt with later. We are not too far from having a sleeping room and bathroom prepared for Cline in the basement, so that we can start moving the bedrooms around to make room for Baby Girl. I am not a "New Year's Resolution" kind of girl, but I sure would love it if this new-found energy and organizational skills stick around for the rest of the year!!

Alright, I'm off to prioritize that relaxation time with my husband now, so have a great week, and Happy New Year!!