New Year's New Yearling, pt. 2

It was amazing how much the energy picked up in the few calm hours that followed. Or perhaps it was the pent-up excitement that finally broke though once the cars started showing up. But it wasn't long before the fog shrouding the end of the previous evening had lifted and the spirits were raised high once again! The keg was tapped and iced again, but for the most part spent a lonely night on the back porch... But that didn't stop Tyler from looking like this:



And the best part about it all was that Iris slept! People congregated in the kitchen around a sumptuous Seb-simmered stir-fry and in the dining room around Carole's confectionary concoction of chocolate cookies and chips, all just feet from the door to the room while Iris lay sleeping. And later, we all assembled upstairs and ushered in the midnight hour as we all have so many times together with laughter, music, and hugs. All the kids slept! Even a late night game of Dutch Blitz that featured Carole yelling "Blitz!" at the top of her lungs couldn't rouse a stir..

So everything was a big hit. Everyone settled into their corner of the rug and bid a fond adeiu to 2005. Mama D and naM kicked back and reflected on a fantastic year, one that saw the arrival of our most prized little bear!! And we wondered what 2006 would have to offer...

The next morning, everyone was slow to get up.. Everyone but the kids! No sooner was the pancake breakfast started on the griddle that naM began preparing the turkey for deep frying! The weather outside was beautiful- way warmer than the New Year's Days we'd come to know in Michigan.. It was a no-shirt day for all the guys, and extra airy for the apron-clad chef! The kids ran about the backyard, climbing about the swingset, and Iris soaked up the love as she was passed around..

Lunch had a southern accent- not only was there a fried turkey, but Dessa and Ryan also chipped in a generous portion of Red Beans 'n' Rice and Collard Greens. We feasted under a Georgia sun. But that sun was setting, as was the time we had with all of our good friends. For most of us, life as usual was about to resume, and for some of us, that meant covering a lot of distance in a short period of time. They sailed in two ships as it were; first the Doz-Bas family set sail, packing all their week's-worth of stuff in the car and shoving off, followed by a parade of vehicles left for Athens, with destinations abound..

Before little Fen left, just days before her 4th birthday, we captured this little gem:


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Thanks for all the memories, all the sacrifice involved with travelling to our place.. We'll see you again soon (if not exactly one year from now, I hope!).

-naM, Mama D, and Iris