Happy New Year!

As many of you know, once you are a parent it is hard to stay up past 10 o'clock sometimes. Bart and I actually stayed up to ring in the New Year. We were watching The Dark Knight and it happened to be long enough to keep us up. As we close 2008 we are looking forward to 2009. There will be many changes this upcoming year, with Sydney turning five and starting big kindergarten! Bart and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage in August. Those events are so hard to believe. They really did fly by. It will be exciting to see what else is headed our way.

We started the year off with good friends and a 'Panini Party.' My Cuisinart panini press is one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year, along with my red Kitchenaid mixer. I have coveted both for a long time! When we get together with our neighborhood friends, we just have a casual, relaxed time with no less than six kids running around at a time. I attempted to make my first batch of collard greens. The feedback was very good and the pot was empty. So I guess I am a true southern cook! Yeah! I figured with all of the husbands working in the financial world we needed as much green as we could get. We also had a black-eyed pea dip that was delicious.

I had a great time just hanging out. The kids played well and had a lot of fun. We even brought out the Wii and bowled. My four year old bowled a 175! Bart was so proud, but challenged her the next day and outscored her. I don't think he could handle her having the high score. They have a lot of fun on that thing!

I think we are going to have more of these low-key dinners this year. I sure enjoy a night out, but there is something special about having friends over and just kicking back.