Real New Year's Eve

We slept with our EVE wristbands on, despite overly sensitive members of the family noting that they were "scratchy". We've never been to The Leonardo, which is a science and art museum downtown, and since our EVE passes included admission, we headed in. We made little sculptures out of clay, played in front of a green screen, glued together some mosaic and abstract art pieces, and found out that short kids are too short for the cool motion capture/dancing skeleton display. We didn't LOVE the Leonardo, the way we usually LOVE museums. Maybe we'll try again in a few years.

Little tiny braids. Just like the ladies on Frozen.

We went shopping at the Harmon's downtown which was really fun. TB said it was kind of like being on vacation.

We took the kids to Shane and Shauna's house because they kindly invited the kids over. TB and I picked up 7'6" Chocolate Cake from Tuscany, made Deer Valley Turkey Chili, and watched a disappointingly weird movie (American Hustle).

When it was time to pick up the kids, Isaac did NOT want us to turn off the My Little Pony Movie so he could come with us. He complained for the whole ride home and said, "You ruined the whole season by turning off that movie." I said, "Christmas season was like a month and a half long. I can't believe it was ruined by one movie." He said, "It was ruined by one mom." Ouch! I need to read more parenting books to see if this is a normal phase for a five-year-old boy or if he's doing the teenage thing a little early.

This weird bread from Harmon's was good and the chili was good and the company was really great. Our neighbors shot up some quality fireworks at about 8 pm, then it was time to tuck the kids in so the grownups could watch a good movie (Rush).

Early New Year's Eve

We've never gone to Salt Lake City's downtown New Year's Celebration called EVE, but we wanted to entertain Aunt Jo this year and we're always up for trying new things, so we bought Jazz tickets and got our complimentary EVE passes.

We headed downtown with Aunt Jo and rushed to Clark Planetarium to get tickets

to Let It Snow, which is a Christmas song movie and laser show in the dome theater. As we reclined in our seats too close to the front, the announcer said, "We'll use lasers during the last ten minutes of the show, so don't try to touch them. They'll kill you, but it's your choice I guess." Everyone laughed at that, but ten minutes into the show when I was slightly nauseated from the spinning candy canes, Ikey looked at me with terror in his eyes and sweaty hands and said, "I really don't like this show. I don't want the lasers!" Jo and I assured him that they weren't deadly and the announcer was just making a joke. Then he LOVED the show. He sang along with all the songs.

The next morning he said that he wanted to make a flat reindeer (see above) from the show so we tracked down some popsicle sticks and he worked on his project for about two hours with no help. Pretty good!

We ran into the ComiCon costume contest and we cuddled up to Darth Vader.

Jovie LOVED the ballroom which was all loud music and flashing lights and 2014 beach balls. She'll definitely be a club kid when she's old enough.

Aunt Jo and Jovie and I tested our skills in HoopDeDoo which was all flashing hula hoops.

Ikey thought all the dance club rooms were too loud, so TB and him headed to BounceTown to climb and slide on things. Here's the movie: http://youtu.be/AiNTGi6mAQA

Then we walked to the Jazz game to meet Grandpa, Sean, and Dallin in the "nosebleed seats."

We got "clown balloons", giant pretzels, corndogs, bratwurst, Philly cheesesteaks.

We took Aunt Jo to a hotel by the airport because she had an early early flight back home the next day. It was a super-exciting early New Year's Eve.

Little adventure

Aunt Jo treated us and Nikki to breakfast at Mimi's Café (yum!) and we all watched Frozen at a nice warm movie theater. Everybody met at Mom's house for sloppy joe's that evening.

Smith Family Party

We wrapped up a couple of white elephant gifts, made a bunch of cowboy cookies and drove south to American Fork for the Smith Family Christmas Party. Ikey made friends with a cousin from Idaho. I saw him run up to her at the dessert table and say, "Your face is so pretty, it should be on a Christmas card." He told cousin Brad that his Christmas gifts included "Santa's sleigh and everything you could imagine."

 Uncle Blaine, Shane and Todd. These guys were dressed alike a lot as kids.

Rainey and Ross

 Party ladies

Not surprisingly, I made the whole crowd do a Harlem Shake dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0DSsvV0YS0&feature=youtu.be

Downtown thrift store tour

Faucheuxes, Jo, Preeces, Wans, and Burrows met for breakfast at Little America and for the treasure hunt at Grand America. This was our second time this season!

Mom, Jo, Caitlin and I headed out to check out the thrift/antique scene. We visited Capital City Antique Store, Chic and Unique, RubySnap (not antiques - COOKIES), 7-Eleven for fountain drinks, EuroTreasures (crazy!), EmilieJayne, Abode, Silver Star Hardware, Gilded Branch. We were understandably hungry, so we had lunch at Stella's and parted ways. I didn't buy anything.

Aunt Jo plus ZooLights

Our favorite! Mom and Pop met us at the airport to pick up Aunt Jo from Florida. We had lunch at Vinto and took her to City Creek, which was still a construction zone last time she was here.

 

We tried to get a view from the 26th floor of the Church Office Building, but they said we had to joint a tour which seemed like it was too long for us, so we just had pie at The Pantry instead.

 

We met Preeces and Wans at ZooLights a few days earlier than usual for us (usually our New Year's Eve tradition). It was warmer than usual so we didn't mind. It was cheap ticket Thursday so it was way way busier then we've ever seen it.

Somehow, the big (Clancy, Isaac, Miles) got to ride in a stroller. This is a real treat for Ikey, because I got rid of my stroller about three years ago.

This is the sixth year for ZooLights and we've been every year. It keeps getting better!

Family Photos

The family photos taken by D'Arcy Benincosa in October.