Graham Family New Year

In an effort to avoid the predicted slippery roads, we headed to Southern MN a little early this past New Year's weekend.  The girls were thrilled to be on a nighttime adventure to surprise Grandma & Grandpa, and my mom's look of awe did not disappoint.

We awoke the next morning to a lovely breakfast whipped up by Grandpa (he's the guy that used to make me breakfast in bed when I came home from college!), and then we headed off to visit with my grandparents - Hadley & Piper's greatgrandparents!  We were treated to delicious treats, generous gifts, and lots of love at both homes.  Great-Grandpa Jerry & Great-Grandma Joan were our first stop...

Followed by Oma & Opa Steck...

By New Year's Eve evening, my parent's house was truly hoppin'!  My brothers and their families came out to help ring in 2011 and celebrate Christmas together. The frog backpack Uncle Nathan is helping Piper into was a real hit. (Note the ruby slippers that Grandma just happened to have in each granddaughter's size.) As was the ballerina costume from Uncle Mike & Auntie Jill, but very much unlike the doll that Grandma & Grandpa gave to Piper... When she opened the very real like doll, she said quietly but oh so seriously, "I don't want her." The ever polite child, we were astonished as we tried to keep our snorts and heaves of laughter in so it wouldn't scare her even more!  She has kept her distance from the doll back at home too, and told me very quietly the other day that, "She has too much hair, Mama." 
Despite the extra excitement, we were able to get all the kids down at a reasonable hour that night. All of the adults were anxious to sneak gifts into their Secret Santa's stocking (a 24 year old Graham tradition) but also to play the first ever 'Graham Game.' What a seriously lame name, but no one came up with anything better!  (Think Jeopardy meets Trivial Pursuit meets Joey on Friends.) Each couple had prepared 24 questions to fit within the categories Mike had organized; complete with game boards and a lightning round (love you, Mikey!).                                                           (Hadley Wii bowling for the first time with Grandpa & Brooklyn's encouragement).

Apparently we were overzealous in our question prep, as the entire game lasted FOUR hours and into 2011.  And though I couldn't seem to drink enough coffee the next morning, I could not have imagined a better entry into the new year than laughing hysterically with my family.  I would be remiss not to mention that Kyle & I nearly doubled the points of each couple and were clearly the winners. Sound familiar?  I belive we were the undisputed water volleyball champions this summer too?  Hmmm.

The doctors of our family, the most competitive of our family, the most likely to butt heads in our family, aka...the babies of our family. (Don't worry the long standing love/hate relationship always ends on the love side, just don't get them started on Favre.)

My dad was so sneaky that day, he managed to slip an inscribed book under each of our pillows wishing us a Happy 2011!  I was, however, apparently the only 'block head' who slept the entire night with my book under my pillow (if that says anything about how late our trivia game went!).  The rest of the weekend was spent playing with cousins, eating more of my mom's delicious stroganoff, and even getting in some play-doh time with Grandma before heading back to WI.

We are back at the regular routine now, and enjoying every moment of 2011 already.  But the very best part of 2011 is just around the corner though...Perhaps weeks or even days, as I await the day my baby brother becomes a dad!