New Year's Eve Countdown In Word and Pictures

At 6pm, our small crowd of guests arrived for dinner. But before we ate, each of us wrote one thing we want to improve or change or a bad habit to stop from 2007 on a small slip of paper and sent it into a roaring fire. Then, we each lit a candle, off a tray of votives, as we said a silent prayer for the coming year.

At 7pm, for the fourth time in as many years, we wrote our Ten Year Predictions with sometimes humorous (the invention of Baby T's new line of hair products--Fro and Go) and sometimes sweet (CB's prediction that in ten years, Mom and Dad will still be loving us just like today.) Then, despite the blowing snow coming down, everyone traipsed out onto the front porch to blow bubbles in the dark.

At 8pm, mini bags of M & Ms revealed our Sweet Fortunes and we began the first of several rounds of card games (Spoons, Go Fish and Scr*w Your Neighbor--which I'm sure must have a nicer name) provided lots of laughs.

At 9pm, the Boy cranked up the ITunes CD he made for our "Blast from the Past" Dance Party. Everyone tried their hand at guessing which decade the songs came from, while the youngest revelers cut some serious rug. By special request, the last song was The Chicken Dance, which provided background music for many rounds of musical chairs.

At 10pm, we lit the sparklers on our Confetti Cake and enjoyed our final dessert of 2007. We also watched Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest (along with Hannah Montana and co.) at the ball drop in NYC.

At 11pm, we chose from a list of games and played until just before midnight. Santa's gift of the popular dice-rolling game, Yahtzee, was chosen hands down over "Memorable Events Charades" (charades of defining moments of 2007).

At 11:50, we donned party hats and scrambled for noisemakers and party poppers. As the Boy dropped balloons (decorated with fortunes for the New Year) from the balcony, we raised our glasses and toasted one another---even the little ones stayed awake!



From all of us on the Ark,
May God fill your 2008 with abundant grace and blessings!

Remember us, 0 God; from age to age be our comforter. You have given us the wonder of time, blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.

Bless your children at the turning of the year and fill the months ahead with the bright hope that is ours in the coming of Christ.

You are our God, living and reigning, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing for the New Year from Catholic Culture