The New Year!

It's taken me a while to post about New Years Eve. I put all the pictures on face book before writing this, so most of you have already seen them.But first... I did have a birthday this year. I don't know why so many people like to keep track of birthdays every year. Right around my birthday I have finally forgotten my actual age and most of the time spend at least half the year thinking I'm younger than I am. Well, this year my mother in law unintentionally did the math and found out my little trick. So... of course my husband wouldn't let me live it down. He had to bake me a cake and everything. And keep reminding me of how OLD I really am. Now it's going to take a whole nother year to forget.


Me eating the giant doughnut shaped cake.

 

Well, back to New Years. We did our usual and went out to our good friend in Geneva Florida's house. He has some property and really knows how to throw the best party ever. He used to get crowds of people. A lot would camp for the night that way they didn't have to risk a long drive home after drinking. But this year for some reason it was really quiet. I think a lot of people just got old. But hey, I aged a whole extra year and I still showed up. Maybe some were worried about that Mayan prophecy coming true a little late. Or maybe they had that flu that was going around. I don't know but it made for a very relaxing night. If you count blowing up a Christmas tree with gasoline and lighting of a whole arsenal of fireworks relaxing.

We arrived pretty early so we were able to get some pictures of everything before it was all set up.

Fire pit before it was piled up with everything.

You can see all the wood that was piled up.

 



Some of the fireworks being made ready for the big show.

Next year I will have to take some pictures of the food because it was truly amazing. There was the pulled pork that our buddy makes every year. And then Red always makes chili which is yummy and our buddy also has his black eyed peas ready, so there is those, and last couple of years he has make really tasty hot German potato salad. 

fire

 



The fire started off with a bang. Each year the pit is carefully loaded with old dead Christmas trees and boxes that beer came in. Some times old bra's are thrown in the pit. I should say placed on the Christmas tree to make it look like a girl. I think next year they better put some boxer shorts in that fire. Then gasoline is poured over the whole thing and then lit on fire with a roman candle. It's quite a site and something everyone should experience. I don't know why everyone isn't doing this every year. Way more fun than getting all dressed up and trying not to turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
Then we sit around and catch up. Talk about what we did the year before and what we plan to do next year and have a good time by the fire and light fire works and have so much fun. Then at the stroke of mid night... BAM! firework display to be proud of. Photography lacks something to be desired. Ha.

fire works

I hope that 2013 is a great year for everyone! After all... we have a new start. We can have a new out look on things and we have an opportunity to do things different this year. We can be better. We can do better and we can make 2013 the best year yet!

 



We are back!

We made it back just as fast at we got there despite agreeing to take our time and not drive like the roads going to fall apart.Chris just can't drive slow.  But the trip was great! We met up with everyone in Kansas, at my sisters. My brother John and a friend Wendy and her daughter drove up from Arkansas. Then we all headed to Oklahoma for the graduation. 

We got to see our soldier graduate basic training. 

Doesn't she look good.

That's all that army food! She said it was pretty good. Which makes me wonder about our cooking. But... the first thing she wanted was fast food restaurants so I think she was exaggerating the goodness of the army food.

She really bulked up while she was there. All muscle! Her arms are as big as her dad's now. That may not be saying all that much but she was a toothpick when she left. Yep! Heslin attitude with the ability an knowledge of how to kill people bare handed. Well, they did gave her a gun and showed her how to use it. So ya'll bad guy's better watch out. Cause my daughter is awesome!

4th of July

We spent the 4th at my sisters in Kansas. Boy was that a lot of fun. People in her city are crazy for fire works. It sounded like a war zone with all the mortar type fireworks. All we had to do was walk outside every house was lighting them off. People had attached candles to tiny parachutes they lit the candles on fire and  they flew up and over the houses all night. I asked my sister but no one there worries about their houses catching on fire. And there was definitely no forests to worry about. We had a blast. (No pun intended.)

It was very difficult but we finally got the whole crew to stand together long enough for this one, yes only one, picture. The kids were all having so much fun playing with the pool table, lighting off fireworks, running all over the place. It reminded me of Thanks givings at my Aunts when I was little and the whole family use to get together. Hope we don't have to wait another 20 years for everyone to get together again.