As I was thinking about the New Year, I realized this is the first time that my husband and I will be alone on New Year’s Eve.  

My youngest is 21 and has her own plans. This New Years’ will be the end of an era and yet will bring a new chapter into our lives.

As I look back at the last 29 years there have been many memorable times. It always brings a smile to my face when I reminisce. I would love to share some of those memories with you.

We always talked to our kids about the New Year and what that meant. We talked about what we wanted to change or to be different for our family. We made Family resolutions together.  A fun example of that was having Family Board Game nights more often. We made sure to make it age-appropriate and as they grew the definition of New Year’s and resolutions grew too.

When my kids were little and couldn’t make it to midnight, who am I kidding we couldn’t make it to midnight either.

We would make pizzas and watch a movie or two of course with popcorn. Usually, by the second movie, someone was sleeping, usually my husband.

As the kids grew, we would purchase one of those New Year’s Eve kits at the local grocery store. You know the ones with hats, silly glasses, necklaces, and horns. The kids loved those.  We would set up a scavenger hunt for them to find the New Year’s attire. 

Our meals always consisted of pizza or tacos and nachos, chicken chili or raw veggies with dip, etc. Mostly finger foods. We added playing board games to the mix and wrapped it up with a movie and popcorn. 

I think as the kids reached their teenage years was when it was the most fun. Each one of us had our own favorite foods.  We were all able to add them to the menu. We all enjoyed cutting up and making the food together. Lots of healthy foods and some fattening foods of course.

Because the kids were older, we opted out of the movie and chose to play board games. My husband would come up with these silly voices and we would try to mimic him.  I still remember all the laughter, my kids laughing so hard they would fall off their chairs. As the night went on, we all became sillier. Of course, they kept us up way past midnight. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss those times.  

Why am I sharing this with you? I guess because I thought I had a little bit more time. I’m sharing because when people say that children grow up fast, please believe them. 

Our time with our children has seemed to have flown by. I have no regrets though just wonderful memories.

Even though my husband and I are onto a new stage in our lives, the past   New Year’s will never be forgotten.

We will not be sitting home this year.  We have made some plans of our own.  We will be celebrating the new chapter of our lives. We will be going hiking through the snow, having a candlelit dinner at home, and curling up on the couch to watch a movie or two. And yes, with popcorn.  It is our time to make our own memories.

Whether you are home with your little ones or entering a new chapter of your life like us, make memories. For those are the treasures we are left with as we grow older. 

So, enjoy those little ones as they grow. Choose to be silly. They will talk about it for years after. Then when it is time for them to move on in their lives you can look back and smile. 

My hope for you is an evening spent with your family and friends. Most of all I hope 2021 brings you newfound hope, joy, love, and most of all new memories.