HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Right before we left for Maryland for Christmas, Doug and I had talked about how it would be fun to have a small New Year's party at our house. But we weren't sure if anyone would come being that all of our friends have young kids. We love having people over our house, but haven't never really planned a party aside from a kids b-day party. So we decided this year we would just make it a little low-key and just invite a few of our closest friends...and see what happens.
With my sister being my inspiration, I made a platter of crackers with bree and strawberries :) I didn't like them, but though it would be neat to serve:
Doug made everything else. He made his famous cheese dip, shrimp newberg, grilled sausages,

crab dip (my favorite but I don't think anyone else quite appreciated it the way we did), and a few other little things:

Everyone minus a few kids:

Crazy kids:

This boy was so exhausted!! He was begging to be put to bed before it was even bedtime!! He was out so fast!

Madeline was wiped too and asked to go to sleep right after him...but the rest of the kiddies hung around a little longer to party (and eat):

Steve, Christine and (Little) Owen came by. We were so happy to get to celebrate the new year with them since it will be one of our last gatherings with them before their move to Virginia:

Once the kiddies were settled in bed (one family stayed the night with us) and a few families had headed home, Doug started making some Pain Killers (an Annapolis tradition):

Before they headed home (before the New Year!) I convinced a very picky, Allison, to taste some bree....I'll be nice and not post the pictures that followed:

I had to snap a picture of Riley in this outfit because it's one of Madeline's...and one of my favorites!

Then it was time for a little Wii (Thanks Dan and Arika for bringing the fun!):

Because I'm a good friend:

HAHAH!! Janette meant business playing Doug in tennis!!! Good laughs!!!

Jason was embarrassed by his wife's tennis performance:

Our GABFF's! (by the way, Janette came up with the corny nickname, not me!):

We had a WONDERFUL New Years party and look forward to attempting a bigger one next year!

Sadly enough, this is the result of my Wii tennis playing the next couple days (pathetic I know):

New Year's Day with the Harkins 2010

We had a calm, quiet, New Year's Day morning, but Madeline couldn't wait to get back out in the snow. We told her we had to wait until Uncle Ryan and Aunt Rhonda got to the house, then we'd go out with all the cousins. Well, they arrived about noon and the first thing my Father-in-Law wanted done was for Garrett and Ryan to get their haircut. Garrett was going to be first. He's two and has never had a hair cut. He also doesn't know me, his Aunt, very well so I was a little worried about how the hair cut would go.
Poppy was going to hold Garrett while his hair was cut. He knew right away he wasn't going to enjoy what was going to happen:
Garrett had beautiful blond, curly hair and I had intended on leaving a bit of length to it (and everyone else agreed not to go too short). As you can see from the picture below, that's not what happened! Garrett fought and screamed the whooooole time. Poor little guy. His head was bright read and sweating from the ordeal. I tried candy and the kids tried distracting him. We rotated who was holding him....but nothing helped. We all agreed that the only way he was going to have an even haircut was to basically buzz it! I used the longest blade shield I had, but it still ended up very short. There was also a lot of long hairs left around his ears that he wouldn't let me get to. Rhonda insisted she would try to tackle them when he fell asleep that night. I hope this event didn't traumatize him for too long.

Next, I cut Ryan's hair. Although he is a grown man, he was just as difficult as Garrett...so much so that I don't have any before/after pictures. But trust me, a LOT of hair was cut off :) (Thanks for letting me "trim" your hair Ryan!!!)

Finally, my FIL, Roger, wanted his trimmed. How'd I do:

We ate lunch, some yummy ham, potato salad, etc, then headed outside for more fun in the snow. Aunt Mary helped her nieces down the hill:

Julie, Ethan, Madeline, Kelly:

Ethan, Madeline, Kelly, Julie, Lily:

Here Ethan was fussing for us to get him off of the snow. He like going down on the sled, but still wanted nothing to do with walking on snow (no matter how little was left):

Ethan and Garrett going down the hill together:

He was much happier outside than the previous day:

Uncle Ryan pushed Madeline around on the boogy board. Although it wouldn't move very well (or pretty much at all) on the snow, she loved it!

Daddy going down the hill with Ethan. He was laughing so hard!!

Daddy pulled Madeline around on the boogy-board too:

Garrett was sitting here playing with the snow, making snowballs and throwing them, and Ethan just kept laughing at him...it was SO cute:

Madeline's Godparents, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Rhonda:

Lily, Madeline, and Julie playing with Madeline's Christmas present from the girls:

Me and the boys:

Ethan and Garrett played with boy toys for a while:

Then they practiced their Jiu Jitsu:

The next afternoon we headed home. Not two minutes into the drive, both kiddies were sound asleep. Although it took us longer than usual, almost 12 hours, the drive wasn't too bad. the kids (and Penny) seem to know the routine, and deal well with it:

New Years Eve at the Harkins 2009

New Years Eve we woke up to snow falling! At first we were worried that it was really going to affect our plans (going to Chipotle) and traveling, but it was the perfect snow...just enough for Madeline to have a blast in without a lot of hassle. We didn't bring any snow clothes (actually we don't even really have any), so Mom-mom improvised...trash bags taped over the shoes:
Ethan was not so sure about this:

We pulled the sled out and hopped right on! Madeline was excited about what we were going to do, but Ethan looked terrified (a look that stuck with him most of his time out in the snow):

"Weeeeeee," well, that's what Madeline was saying anyway. Mommy and Ethan were a bit scared:

Since Ethan wanted nothing to do with walking on the snow, this is how I got him up most of the hill:

Mom-mom had to come down the hill to rescue Madeline:

From the moment we arrived in Maryland and Madeline saw the snow, all she wanted to do was make a snow angel. The snow that was left over on the ground when we got to MD was all ice, so she was not able to make one. This snow, however, was perfect snow-angel-making snow:

Poor Ethan. He didn't like the snow, so I put him in this spot...and he stayed there! It was the longest time, by far, that this kid has ever stayed in one spot!

Madeline loved being helpful:

Seriously, he stayed there forever:

Daddy took care of the driveway:

Another thing Madeline couldn't wait to do...get started on a snowman!!!

Ethan's new spot...never to move:

Madeline rolled most of this ball by herself. She took the snowman making very seriously:

TaDa!!!!

We were very proud of her snowman. She couldn't wait for Poppy to get to the house so he could see it, but it was actually a beautiful day and the sun knocked it over before he got home :(

We then went inside to get changed and warmed up!! Aunt Mary did some crafts with Madeline:

...and Ethan was just thrilled to be away from the snow!

We opened a few presents shortly after. Ethan received this neat dog from Aunt Sarah, Uncle Eric, Liam, and Analee. Madeline made sure to spend plenty of time showing him how it worked:

Mom-mom and Poppy's gift to Ethan:

Yay!! A Tonka truck toy!

The boys:

Doug's paternal Grandmother lives at the house now, so she was able to enjoy watching the kids open their gifts. Not sure what it was, but Ethan had a special sweet spot for Big Mom-mom. He walked over to her and held her legs. Then he started reaching up like he wanted her to hold him. You could tell that melted her heart. Doug put him on her lap and he hung out there for quite a bit, giving her plenty of his awesome smiles:

And this is what Penny did the whole time:

The kids went to bed at their normal time and Doug, Mary and I stayed up playing games until the New Year. Welcome 2010!!