New Year's Eve...

A couple of days before the New Year Kent's cousins that live in Carstairs invited us all to their hockey arena to have a pot luck and go skating. And then whoever wanted to could have a game of hockey as well.

It was SO fun! We were so glad that they did this and we think they should make this a tradition and do it every year...hint, hint =)

New Year's

All of Kent's siblings and each of their families were able to get together on New Year's Eve at our place. Debbie was there as well and we had a great time. This was the first time we were all together like this during the holidays so we are glad it all worked out in the end. We ate good food, played lot's of games and had a good time visiting. The kids had a lot of fun with all of their "Stanford" cousins ALL being there as well.


There was SOOOOO much food it was ridiculous. Everyone was assigned something to bring and therefore there was A LOT!! It was all good and we had a good time playing games and just being together.

We organized a few family games downstairs for all the kids and adults. It was really fun! We even had a cousin gift exchange since we weren't able to get together any sooner. The kids had a great time...and so did the adults =)

All of us playing the animal game. This was one of Kent's dad's favorite games. You make a complete fool of yourself, but it is alot of fun =)

The kids playing the unwrapping game. We had wrapped some treats a million times with wrapping paper. They had to try to unwrap it with gloves, a winter hat and a coat on...but I am not sure that actually happened. Anyways they kept trying to unwrap it before certain numbers got rolled on the dice...if the numbers rolled then whoever rolled the numbers had a turn unwrapping.

The older kids playing the unwrapping game serperatly from the little kids. And the adults had there own as well.

All in all I think we all had fun! It was a bitter sweet thing ringing in the New Year. We are looking forward to the New Year and all it has to bring. Looking back at 2009 I can honestly say it was probably one of complete happiness watching Brynley with all of her "firsts" and her growing and changing. But then it was one of the absolute hardest with Russ getting sick and passing away.

I have this display of pictures on my wall in my kitchen. I found this saying in the Summer down in Utah after Russ had passed away. If you can't read it is says:

Because someone we LOVE is in heaven

we have HEAVEN in our home

These pictures were the ones taken Father's Day weekend in June a couple of weeks before Russ passed away. Each family wore a certain color so you could tell who belonged to who. There are different groupings with Russ...Russ and Deb of course in the middle, above Russ and Deb is them with all the grandkids, top right picture is Deb and Russ with all their kids, below that is our family with Russ and Deb, to the left of Russ and Deb's picture is all the adults, below that one is all the men(sons of Russ and son in law) and grandsons with Russ who shaved their heads in support of Russ having to have his head shaved and then last but not least was the big family picture with everyone in it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!