New Years in St. George (Again)

It used to be tradition that in order to avoid being too boring on New Years Eve after having kids that the Thorsteds would come over to our place and ring in the New Year playing games.  Last year, we escaped to St. George instead and when I told Annie we were planning to do the same again this year, she politely informed me that she doesn’t like how we always ditch them for St. George on New Years now.  So my reply was that they should come with us, and she said maybe they would. 

So the Thorsteds (minus Jens who got to fly to St. Lewis to hang with his cousins for New Years as a Christmas present) and Marshalls loaded into cars on the Friday afternoon before New Years.  Derek and I ended up with all the kids in our car and Tyler and Annie had a quite car to themselves which we figured was fine because it was their anniversary weekend after all.  Saturday, Annie and I went on a run together in the morning.  Then, Tyler, Derek, Annie and I all did some sealings of family names in the St. George temple while Mom and George took the kids to the Children’s Museum.  The first place Annie and Tyler ever laid eyes on each other was at a mutual friend’s wedding in the St. George temple, so it seemed the perfect way to start our their anniversary day.  After the temple, I took all the kids to the pool (I myself sat in the hot tub the entire time), and all the other adults went to play Pickleball. 

The entire weekend included all of us enjoying the Classic Nintendo Santa brought Camden for Christmas this year.  I think the adults enjoyed playing all the games of our youth more than the kids.  And, the kids loved having us play for them because we were all far more skilled than them.  Every night we stayed up late playing games mostly Wizard with a little bit of Mexican train mixed in.  Mom made drop donuts for all the kids one night.  The got eaten as fast as she made them.

Sunday we all went to the SunRiver ward with my Mom.  The kids rode in the golf cart with Babi to church and they all adored primary as usual.  They did the PBJ prayer sandwiches and got all kinds of treats and coloring pages and such.  Babi took Annie and the kids (and dog) to the dog park after church.  That afternoon, we took our kids to go visit Derek’s old boss Mark Robinson and his wife.  That night we did cheese fondue and chocolate fondue and steak which as fun.

Monday morning Annie and I were able to squeeze in another AM run.  Then, we took the kids to a park to play so all the adults (including me) could to play pickleball.  It was fun to play a team sport with my husband, though he is a little overly competitive.  That afternoon, Annie, Mom, and I all got Chinese massages which were awesome at the foot palace.  I love that place--a full body massage for $30!   This was New Years Eve.  And my Mom had it in her brain to do Chinese food.  She really wanted to make homemade egg rolls and Sweet and Sour pork.  Annie chopped crazy amounts of celery and I cooked up the filling the day before then New Years Eve we rolled them all.  They were good, but so laborious.   

And Olivia came up with the bright idea that we should make Papou his favorite cake, so I made a Czech apricot cake for him.  

After dinner we did a dance party with the kids complete with the limbo and watched an early count down at about 10 pm and sent them to bed.  Mom made all of us her famous margaritas and then we always forced ourselves to stay up till midnight playing games.  As soon as the clock struck twelve, we all couldn’t wait to climb into bed.

The next morning, we went to visit Derek’s Uncle Alan who lives just a street away from my Mom in Sunriver.  We had a nice visit with them and then packed up for home.  It was a great little slightly warmer get away.