We’ve been trying to plan a trip to Charleston for a while now. With Doug, Michelle and Madison having moved back there from Denver, Brittain has been beside herself wanting to see her cousin. Dan and Doug started talking about us making a trip there for New Year’s weekend and we knew we were going at first mention to Brittain. It was really going to be a perfect trip because Dan’s parents were also going so we would have built-in babysitters if we chose to live it up on New Year’s Eve. And from what I heard it was going to be some kind of party.
As it got closer to the day we were supposed to leave, we started having second thoughts about making the trip there. Both the kids had gotten sick and although Brittain was feeling a bit better, Coleman had gotten some kind of stomach bug. We finally had to make the decision that it wouldn’t be in ANYONE’S best interest to load us all up for a 5 hour trip in the car. Brittain was crushed, to say the least. Turns out it was meant to be…Connie and Roger had to cancel their plans to go just a day before they were supposed to leave because Michelle got sick, too.
So here we were now with no plans for New Year’s. It’s funny to me that we ever wonder what we’re SUPPOSED to be doing on New Year’s Eve now because it’s SO OBVIOUS! We are SUPPOSED to be with the Parkers! We carried on the tradition, but this year we added a couple more to the mix with Coleman and Livi.
Brittain and Ava were only children for so long I wondered how having the new siblings in the picture was going to affect them. I don’t want to say that they’ve been spoiled, but as far as attention goes, they’ve gotten ALL of it. But, it just goes to show you that they are just as wonderful as I knew they were because having their siblings in the picture now has only made them sweeter. They LOVE them and actually choose for them to be around.
When the Parkers’ arrived I got these few shots of all the kids greeting each other:
I’m sitting here laughing tonight as I’m writing this blog post. I’m thinking back to a previous post I made in 2008 called The Hugging Bully. First, I just can’t believe how little Brittain and Ava are. And second, I laugh thinking back to what they were like back then. Brittain was so afraid of everything. And Ava, while having good intentions, just came on a little too strong for Brittain’s taste and as you will in those photos, Brittain was NOT all about it. So here we are on children #2 and from what I see now, it looks as if the roles are reversed. This time, though, I have no worries about how this friendship will be. They may not see eye to eye right now, but I have no doubts they will become the best of friends in just a few short years.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this yet, but Coleman LOVES to eat. It’s been an adjustment for me since Brittain has been a picky eater from the very beginning. This kid will eat whatever you put in front of him…and also WHENEVER you put it in front of him. These pictures cracked me up. It didn’t matter that Coleman had just finished eating a large amount of food, when he saw that Livi was eating (it didn’t matter what it was) he wanted in on it.
My favorite set of pictures. My kid loves him some food and you will tell that he was quite confused at what was going on here:
The evening wouldn’t have been complete without Coleman spitting up all over himself.
The party pictures. You will notice that there’s someone missing. Coleman wasn’t ready this year to party with the rest of us. He stayed with his regular 7:30 bedtime knowing there would be plenty more years to stay up way past his bedtime.
Also, once you get to the full group pictures, note that I have stared at these pictures and I still haven’t figured out where my legs are. I look like I am merely just a torso.
