Ellie and her Bannan Cousies

Our last night at "home" in Pasadena was New Year's Eve night.  We were leaving the next morning on a 6:25am flight, so that meant a 3:45am wake-up call for momma and babies on New Year's morning...yuck.  Needless to say, we stayed home while the rest of the family went to another Bannan shin-dig at the Moores' house.  I was definitely sad to miss out on the last party of the season...and a bit mopey as I bathed and fed the kids.  But then I got a call from Jack Gilmore at about 7:30, asking me if he and some of the other younger cousins could come over and visit us...said it was boring over at the Moores' for the non-drinkers. Wahoo!  I had company coming...attitude change.  The kids arrived and immediately started playing and coloring with Ellie; she was in heaven.  There was NO way this kid was getting to bed early.  She stayed up with her cousins until 10 o'clock playing and eating Lucky Boy (i.e. stealing sips of everybody's milk shakes and licking ketchup off of the same fry over and over).  I think it was actually one of my favorite nights of the holidays...just a nice surprise of good family fun.