January 3, 2009
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January 3rd
Some dates stick out in your mind. September 11. December 7. July 4. It only takes an instant–a wrong turn of a car wheel, the test results called in, a last breath–to change a date from ordinary into laden with meaning.
January 3rd is just a day to me, just an ordinary day. And for that, I am praising God!
Now, January 1 was more memorable. This year we had 119 people for the New Year’s Eve party and 18 people slept over. (Word of my Jiffy Mix pancakes must be getting out.) With that many people, there were a lot of mini-parties going on. There was the “stand in the kitchen and talk” group. (Photo courtesy the panorama feature on my new Christmas camera, which turned out to be defective and had to be mailed back to Kodak.)
The “women playing games” group. (Of which I was a part and have no pictures. So here’s some of the food instead.)
The “college students chatting and collapsing” group.
And there was a group of teens having a fine time in the basement playing dress up…
And seeing who could hold him/herself horizontal on a pole in the basement for the longest
time, among other things.
A few seconds before it was time for the ball to drop, people tried to gather around the two televisions and mostly succeeded.
When the Texas Hold Em’ game finally ended around 4:40 and the last car full left, kids started to collapse in the living room. I read them all some bedtime stories (Tales of Beedle the Bard)…
And then kicked the boys into the basement where nine of them got to smash onto three mattresses and the girls upstairs onto the various couches, chairs, and carpeted floors. I got up to bed around 5:20, but falling asleep was difficult. (So much caffeine!)
I was surprised to see all the boys troop out of the basement promptly at 9:30 eagerly searching for pancakes. Those that stayed long enough got hotdogs and sauerkraut for lunch because, as my mom once answered when I asked her why we ate sauerkraut and pork on New Year’s Day, “If you don’t, you will die.”
Happy 2009!
Comments (22)
Great post, great pictures, Maty. God bless you!
My grandfather died on Jan 3rd.
Ok I’m an idiot. He didn’t die on Jan 3rd, but his birthday was today. D’oh.
What a huge party! Your house must be big (or your guests all thin
)!
Obviously a great time was had by all! Thank you for giving us this delightful insight into your life!
Blessings and peace!
Your party sounds like so much fun. I miss the New Years Parties we used to have in OR where 3 or 4 families would get together and we would all sleep over in one or two houses. We had the youngest family, so they would give us one bedroom, and the older kids would sleep girls in one house, boys in the other, and the adults would find places too. It was so grand a time.
Now we have very quiet New Year’s celebrations. No one has come to visit for ages. This year we woke the kids up just before midnight. Usually it is just the two of us. I do miss the fun and fellowship of many.
Looks like lot of fun that I would have been enjoying!! Happy New Year 2009 (kinda late)
this was the best party hahah i can never for get it i am still having flashbacks of the conversations and the laughs! like kim driving backwards on the wii and hurling up her soul
and us all trying to stampeed up the stairs
and all those outfits in the basement
haha u did forget to mention the troopers (including me) who went out to play flashlight tag and gohst in the graveyard
haha fun fun times!!! <3
Pennsylvanians sure do know how to ring in the new year with all that great kraut….I love it! Of course I do enjoy my greens and black eyed peas too! Er, not all at the same time, though, lol! Blessings!
We too had sausage and sauerkuat, why I don’t know since none of us actually ate the sauerkuat.
It looks like you had a great time! Happy, happy New Year!!!
Oh gosh. I have horrible news. My demise may be soon at hand….I’ve NEVER had sauerkraut on New Years Day. Ever.
If I made rules- I would serve sauerkraut on Halloween. It seems more fitting. *LOL* (there is no love lost between me and rotten cabbage)
Your pictures are great….and I think you are the only person I know that would invite THAT many people over to your house at once…and then even feed them breakfast!!! Your great!
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I did not eat pork or kraut on Jan 1. I never have. I have not died yet.
Congrats on a successful new years party. I stayed home with my cats.
First, I love the falling snow on this current Xanga entry. Secondly, you are the best! I am a bit envious that we couldn’t be there with you~I would even have volunteered to take a picture of the women playing cards! I think hearing that you read bedtime stories to all those people at 4 something in the morning ranks you as the best mom ever. Finally I burst out laughing at your mom’s comment about the pork and sauerkraut. NOW I know where you all get you sense of humor! By the way~have you recovered from all your festivities yet?
Our family brought in the New Year’s with (of course) a serious Rook game with friends and some snowmobile rides. We were in bed by 1 a.m. however, so we feel like pansies compared to you all!
Wish we could have been there~we miss you all~
Lisa
It sounds like you had a very good New Year’s Eve. Love the pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Tracy
How on earth did you get so many people in your house?!?
We ate our share of pork & sauerkraut on Thursday!
Glutton for punishment? We ended New Year’s celebration at about 1:30 this year. There were only about fifteen to seventeen people here. We had a great salmon ball…
I never heard that special meal custom. I bet it it German. My Swedish great grandfather used to give the first blonde boy a silver dollar in the new year.
We ate black eye peas.
totally random comment, not at all related to your post….
is there more than one kind of JAX? are they made by bachman’s? i saw cheese twists at our discount grocery store the other day and thought of you. if you ‘d like me to buy some and mail them to you i can. just let me know!
Hehe.
You must be a saint.
@i_was_there_and_back_again -
A saint? Hardly! I just like a good party. And this one is a good party.
Fun pictures; glad it was a great party!