New Year's 2011

We had a New Year's Eve party this year with some friends from our ward.  We included kids this time, and it was a fun time!  We played Minute to Win it again, but with different games.  I re-decorated my tree for the occasion with hats and noise makers.  The kids all took one off when they arrived.

We started with Bite Me, where each person had to pick up all 6 bags with their mouths, without touching any part of the floor, except with their feet.  The bags decreased in size down to 2".  There was no way I was going to be able to do it, so I made Mr. Flexible, Scott do it.  I organized each family into a team, with 2 families being combined.  We had 5 teams.

The next one was Elephant head, where each person had to knock the water bottles over using only the baseball-loaded nylon sock on their heads.

Next was Face the Cookie, a repeat of our Christmas Eve challenge.

Next was Keep it up, where every contestant had to keep 3 balloons afloat for the entire 60 seconds on the timer.  We gave them two chances, and still nobody came close.  Daylen lasted the longest at 19 seconds.

Next was This Blows.  Each person had to keep a feather in the air for 60 seconds by blowing it.  Again, two tries and no successes.

Next was the marshmallow catch, a repeat from Christmas Eve.  I just LOVE the expression on Daniel's face on the far left.  Priceless.

The next one I got roped into doing with all the moms.  We had to pick up 15 cotton balls with our Vaseline-covered noses and deposit them into a nearby bowl.  I tied for first with Scarlet!  I found it funny that all the husbands chose to view this challenge from the "rear". 

Next was Candy Elevator.  This one was tricky, as each person had to raise the pencil platform to their lips by pulling it over their ears, pulley style, and eat the M&M's on it.  The dads got beat by a little girl.

Next was Magic Carpet, where each kid had to travel around the island on a towell, inchworm-style.  Brighton tried hard, and cheated in the end to finish.  I allowed it, since he was dead last anyway.

The Vazquezes

The Bushmans

The Bullocks.  I won't take it personally that she fell asleep:)

Next was shoe toss, where each kid had to toss one of their shoes onto a table, using only one foot.  This one got kind of wild, but luckily, nothing got broken:)

Last was Suck it Up, where each person had to use a straw to transfer 25 M&M's to a nearby bowl.  Savannah came in second.

Even Molly got into the spirit.

Our family placed second in the games, behind Rosie, who became a one-girl team when all 4 teammates abandoned her to go home.  After the game, we sent the youngest kids into another room to watch a movie while the adults played some games.  We played Curses and Apples to Apples.  We learned that Jamie White does a pretty dang good impression of Scooby Doo, and Michael Ward could be a pirate.

At midnight, we pulled the balloon drop.

We filled the balloons with confetti, and had poppers too, so there was lots of mess.  But I love seeing the kids have so much fun with it.

I love Alyssa's expression here!

Jamie led us in a toast and we all raised our glasses to the New Year.  May it be better than the last!

Here's to good friends!  It was a fun night, and I very much enjoyed having everyone in our home.  I can't think of a nicer way to spend it!