New Year's Traditions

Traditionally, I welcome in the new year by eating junk food with  my sister and friends, count down while watching the ball drop, and make toasts.  This New Year's Eve Jesse and I decided to keep it low key and stay home.  We still wanted to go out to eat, so we went to the K&W, knowing that it wouldn't be crowded.  Jackson had a fantastic time being wheeled around in their high chair.

I really was bummed out about our plans to stay home, but we ended up having a fantastic evening!  Once we returned and put Jackson to bed Jesse and I cracked open the sparkling wine and began making toasts.  I'll spare the details of the evening, but it felt a bit like I was in college again.  The only exception was that I was asleep by 11, completely missing the official turn of the new year.

Jesse and I began the tradition of having his family over for the traditional New Year's dinner.  Jesse takes pride in spending hours cooking ribs, black-eyed peas, and collards.  I wasn't sure what to do this year since Jesse had to work all day.  I decided I would take care of the meal if Jesse would promise to take an hour lunch and come home.  We worked things out and invited the family over.  Since we had church this morning, I ordered 2 lbs of pulled pork from a local BBQ restaurant and picked it up right after church.  I had already prepared dessert and the mac-n-cheese, so I just had to heat up the black-eyed peas and baked beans.  Jesse made slaw before going to work and his mother brought cabbage so we would be sure to have our greens.

Jackson was in some kind of mood.  I'm not sure if the incessant crying was attributed to a cold, teething, ear infection, or fighting sleep, but it was u-g-l-y!  We eventually let him cry in his crib and quite a good bit later he was his usual smiling self.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the company of one another.  Levi and Jackson's interactions are especially fun to watch now that Jackson is able to play more.  We all had a great afternoon.

Bring it on, 2012!