New Years Party! wooooo hooooo

I always have such a great time spending time with Devin's family. I really (honestly!) wish that we spent more time together. How many people can say that about their in-laws?! :) After we got home from Idaho and spent a few nights at home, we packed up and drove down to Devin's parent's house to stay for a few days. We partied the whole time and came home utterly exhausted, but it was such a blast. Devin's sister Shawna and her husband Slava, along with their kids, were here from Russia for the holidays and Devin's younger sister Jana and her son Grady (her poor husband Karl had gone back home to work) were also there. Alisa, another sister, and her two girls came on New Year's Eve as her husband's plans had changed and he was also working. So, 4 out of the 8 siblings were there as we rang in the new year. Here is a bunch of pictures to narrate our time in Fairview:


We did a little of this: 

Okay, Slava did more game playing than any of us. The boys had a way of convincing him to play really long games, like Monopoly. The women took a trip out to the boonies to go shopping (really to the farthest store we could find on the other end of the county--what can I say? We needed a break) and left the men in charge back at the house. When we left, these guys had already been playing for quite some time and they were still not done when we got back. Slava's a trooper. :)

And some of this: 

Flor kept inching away from the door until she was across the room-- I think she was trying to make it abundantly clear that she did NOT want to go back out in the snow. Apparently we are just not getting it-- we keep sending her out anyway. :) It's good for her. 

Ugh she says

We found a stray pair of snowpants in our bag (Carlie? Cortney? Gotta be one of yours...) and Devin took the liberty of wearing the far-too-short pants out in the snow. The fact that they are women's pants and they FIT is another story.

Keegan

Hallie and Kayden. I can't believe how grown up Shawna's kids are all the sudden, especially Kayden. Shawna is the sister Devin lived with when we met back in 2004 and Kayden was just a BABY at the time. Yowsa...we are getting old.

Uncle Travis, who had been there over Christmas, apparently built this fort/sledding jump all rolled into one. Pretty awesome.

Top part is a sledding hill, the underside a fort. Hallie getting a push from Uncle Slava down the hill.

Keegan and Kylie on their sled

The driveway is slanted just enough that sleds (with a great big push) can coast on down. Here is Flor  taking her turn.

Jace and Grady ready to freeze sled

We also did a fair amount of lounging/watching movies/relaxing:

Grady is not too sure about Aunt Kim, obviously 

We of course ate our weight in treats:

Just darling.

There was some of this: 

dancing that is...

Kayden showing us how "Gangnam Style" is done...too funny, too funny I tell you

Even Kylie knows how it goes. I see how they spend their time over there in Russia...

And, naturally, we rang in the new year! 

New Year's Eve dinner consisted of typical party food-- little smokies in various forms, 7 layer dip, guacamole, cheese and crackers, etc. Yum.

Then we threw the kids in their pajamas and forced them to attempt to look happy for a photo. Top: Flor, Jace, Hallie, Kayden, Brylee, Keegan. Bottom: Kylie, Brynlee, and Grady. This is one Jana took and I can't help but laugh-- look at Hallie's little thumb's up. Where does she come from? 9 of the Perry grandchildren-- only missing 16. 

After the kids went to bed, we watched "Dick Clark's" (he's dead ya know) Rockin' New Year's Eve and played a family classic game of Mexican Train.

Jana, Shawna, and me.

Kayden getting New Year's kisses from Aunt Jana

And...Aunt Alisa. See that family wall hanging behind them? Most brilliant gift ever. Alisa made it for her parents for Christmas and it was so darling...I just have to mention it. It has each person in the family's birthday listed in order starting with January...their name is on the front and the day of the month on the back. Each circle is painted so that all members of each individual family are the same color. So. Dang. Cute.

Ringing in the new year with sparkling cider of course.

And....that is the end of the photo taking. Lame, I know. We were up way too late and had a great time, I just don't have any pictures past this point. Shoot. Maybe next time. :) Happy New Year, all!

Whew! Now I am all caught up-- until tomorrow, which is Flor's 8th birthday! And then Monday, which is Disneyland. More to come....later. Much later.