HAPPY 2011 TO YOU!

Last night, we celebrated the last hours of 2010 as a family.  First we went out to eat at TGIF. I had the Sizzling Chicken and Shrimp, and oh my gosh, it was soooo good.

 
I nearly cleared my plate, and I don't even want to think about how many calories I consumed!! At least I had skipped lunch...my oh-so-clever game plan for eating dinner out. After coming home, the girls and I made chocolate chip cookies - only instead of just chocolate chips, we also added chopped up Reese's peanut butter cups, Hershey's bars, and M&M's.

 And some chopped pecans for added protein, of course.

 Hey, if I'm going to make high-calorie, butter-laden baked goods, I'm going all out. These were the best cookies ever.

Then we set up the basement (our "Texas Room") with the essential snack foods for celebrating.

 We got our party supplies ready...

We spent the evening playing games with the kids...

watching Times Square on TV by the fire...

playing with laptops...(I think the kids were actually chatting w/each other online...probably saying things they didn't want us to hear...)

That Emma's got some dance moves.

and eating too much junk food.

How do you like my pajama pants?

We counted down the last seconds wearing top hats, and when the 2011 arrived, we blew noise makers

and toasted each other with champagne.

I really need to buy some champagne flutes.

Yes, the kids had tiny little shot glasses with sips of champagne, because their mother forgot to buy sparkling grape juice for them.

"And I thought communion wine was nasty!"

 They did not like the champagne at all. But we did!

Then after lots of hugs and kisses, the kids went to bed, and Andy and I went outside to smoke our annual New Years cigar. My brothers started this tradition about 18 years ago, and even when we're unable to spend New Years together, we all still have our cigars.

I ended up chosing the Swisher Sweet. It's yucky but cigars are yuckier.

This morning we woke up and had a sausage-egg casserole for breakfast that I had prepared last night.

It's unbelievably warm today for Pittsburgh...I can't believe it's January and I actually have the windows open! Weirdness.

Well, there is supposed to be a cold front moving in later this evening, so I better enjoy the warmth while I can. Hubs and I are getting ready to go for our first run of 2011, and then I've got to fix our New Years Day dinner, which must include collard greens, black eyed peas, and cornbread. HAPPY NEW YEAR!