Happy New Year!!! Ringing in 2013 in Style!

 I was SO excited for my annual New Year's Eve Party... this was the first time my ENTIRE family would be there!!  It was so much fun!  First we had yummy food and snacks...

 Then it was downstairs for the festivities to begin.  To start out I'd made (of course with my lovely husband's help!) a slide show with pictures of all the fun things we've done together as a family the past few years.  It was SO hard to cut it down to... 40 minutes!!  I have so many fun pics!  I was nervous people would get bored and think it was too long but they loved it!  We laughed and remembered and it was a great start to the night. 

 Let the games begin!!! I have a game board I always use with 25 pockets. Inside each pocket is an activity or game.  Some are long, some are fast, some are funny, some are serious.  Lots have to do with the year we are celebrating coming to an end.  There is trivia, tactical games and lots of competition. The kids are my helpers.  Kannon and El were old enough to play most of the adult games this year!  They are growing up WAY too fast!! Whoever wins each activity gets a point and the winner gets a wonderful prize donated by my awesome parents!!

 "Gangham style" was such a big thing in 2012 that of course it had to be included in the fun.  The kids were the judges and each got to choose one person who they thought was the best dancer. 

 We sure had fun!

 Derskie doodle picking another game...

 Passing out candies for the "I've never" game. 

 One of my favorites- the Jello eating contest!  No hands allowed. 

 Putting on blindfolds for the "Aura" game. 

 Of course we have our dry erase boards for all the trivia questions. 

 One of the quickies this year was "Whoever can bring me someone elses sock gets the point" These are always entertaining! 

 And the annual money game!!  RCL. We all bring 3 dollar bills each to play with and mom and dad up the anti by playing with $10 bills.  It's intense!

 Neener was so close!!

 But Paige took the pot this year!

 Celebrity mash up!

 "Do you love your neighbor?"

 This game was a first and probably a last!  It was dangerous!! It was called "Pick up"  everyone stood in a circle and linked arms.  In the middle of the circle was a dollar bill.  Whoever picked up the bill won.  Lets just say I didn't think this through very well!  The boys muscles yanked the girls down and trampled them!  Maybe if I did a boys/girls/kids group it would work!

 This was so funny!  This game was "Guess the resolutions".  Everyone wrote down some resolutions they had for 2013 and then I would read them aloud and we had to guess who had written them.  I read "I hope to be on time to things more often" and EVERY single person wrote Paige.  It was so funny!

 "News makers!"  I chose names of people who had been influential in the world in 2012.  I specifically chose a name for each party guest.  The name was then taped to their forehead and they had to walk around the circle asking yes or no questions to try and guess the name on their head.  They got points if they figured it out.  I chose "Mitt Romney" for Nicholas :).  He deserved it!! 

 Before we knew it midnight was around the corner!!  We ran upstairs, got our fireworks and noisemakers ready and then went outside to wreak some havoc. 

 We had lots of fun.  The boys terrorized each other and threw the poppers at each others bare feet and skin. 

 I always get a pic of my New Years Kiss... this one didn't turn out very well!  We were too rowdy I guess!

 Happy New Year!! I love that the kiddos have all the fun with us too!

 We weren't even half way through the games at midnight!!  Everyone was having so much fun and wanted to keep going (except mom who was sick:( ) So we got back to business!  This game was called "Red Solo Cup" and was fun, especially when the little ones cheated and then denied it!

 The winning team!!

 My little helper again.

 Then it was an intense game of spoons. 

 At 2 o'clock in the morning we decided it was time to stop even though we still weren't done!  There was a tie between Justin and Avery so we played the "Heads or tails" game to see who won the big prize.  Justin was the winner!  Paige won the money game and Justin won the money prize.... the in-laws rocked the party!  Next year we are going to challenge them again for it!

We had SO much fun at this party!!  I knew it was a success when my big city brother said "Tiff, this is the funnest New Year's party I have been to in a long time... Actually, this is the funnest New Year's I have ever had!"  Can't tell you how happy I was!  We had so much fun!!

 New Year's day we always go to Brunch and a movie. 

 This year it was Roosters and Parental Guidance. 

It was SO fun having gug here for all of the fun. 

I am sure you get sick of me saying it but I LOVE my fun family so very much!!  I am so grateful to be blessed with a close family.  We have so much fun together!!  I feel so lucky to have them, and to have them all.  I love that I married someone who fits in so well and who enjoys them as much as I do.  I am one lucky girl!!

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope 2013 treats you fabulously.  I hope it's as good as 2012 was!!