This year we did something we hadn't done before; traveled to Utah for New Year's. It was a fun trip! We were still able to spend lots of time with all of Aaron's family and there was more "chill time" without it being Christmas (the hustle & bustle of presents, etc etc).
Our only complaint was that there was NO SNOW! The nerve. We brought snow clothes and had big plans to go sledding, but it wasn't meant to be. So, the snow clothes went unused and we found other thing to do that were still fun.
One afternoon, Aaron & Tom took the kids to Antelope Island. 
The highlight of the trip was New Year's Eve! Tiffany planned a LOT of fun activities for the kids. She had bags labeled with each hour of the night; each hour they opened a bag and got things like party hats, blowers, necklaces, sparklers, etc. She also had time capsule sheets that everyone in the family filled out; one time capsule to be opened the next time we're all together (Thanksgiving), and the other to be opened in TEN years!
At "midnight" (which we celebrated at 10pm... it was midnight in New York) we all drank sparkling cider in glass champagne glasses that Tiffany had found at Ikea for 25 cents a piece!
The kids loved clinking their glasses together.
The highlight of the trip was New Year's Eve! Tiffany planned a LOT of fun activities for the kids. She had bags labeled with each hour of the night; each hour they opened a bag and got things like party hats, blowers, necklaces, sparklers, etc. She also had time capsule sheets that everyone in the family filled out; one time capsule to be opened the next time we're all together (Thanksgiving), and the other to be opened in TEN years!
At "midnight" (which we celebrated at 10pm... it was midnight in New York) we all drank sparkling cider in glass champagne glasses that Tiffany had found at Ikea for 25 cents a piece!
The kids loved clinking their glasses together.
There was plenty of "chill time" during the trip; here's Noah with his youngest cousin, Eli.
All the Utah families have a tradition of getting together the first Sunday of every month to eat dinner and also to celebrate any family birthdays that will occur that month. The January birthdays are Ruth, Tiffany, Zoe, and Lucy, so we had birthday cake after family dinner on January 1st and Zoe & Lucy got to blow out candles (and make wishes).
Here's a cute picture of Owen with Grandpa.
Jake & Tiffany's family, and Nate & Emily's family spent the night most of the time we were there, and Josh & Nicole's family drove back and forth a LOT so we were able to see them almost as much. The kids were in heaven playing with all of their Utah cousins that they hardly ever get to see.
All the Utah families have a tradition of getting together the first Sunday of every month to eat dinner and also to celebrate any family birthdays that will occur that month. The January birthdays are Ruth, Tiffany, Zoe, and Lucy, so we had birthday cake after family dinner on January 1st and Zoe & Lucy got to blow out candles (and make wishes). 
Here's a cute picture of Owen with Grandpa. 
Jake & Tiffany's family, and Nate & Emily's family spent the night most of the time we were there, and Josh & Nicole's family drove back and forth a LOT so we were able to see them almost as much. The kids were in heaven playing with all of their Utah cousins that they hardly ever get to see.Some other things we did were played a lot of games, ate a lot of good food, the men + Noah went shooting, the kids rode the downtown train, and we had professional family pictures taken at the Utah State Capitol building.
When we went home on January 3rd, we drove in two separate cars because we bought Aaron's new car in Salt Lake City while we were there (he had sold his other car back home a few weeks earlier). It was a fun trip; despite the lack of snow we still had a lot of fun and we love getting together with the Utah family.
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