And the new year begins!

On New Year's Eve, we spent much of the day with some of our friends from church at their home, six families together in all. Just about every three months, the men and the boys get together for "Age of Empires" battles. We're talking a computer for every player; multiple hours, multiple games. We gals spend the time visiting, we watch a movie or two, and play "pass the babies." We had three babies to share this year! I made the customary espresso and cappuccino for those who wanted them.



After all the babies went home (before midnight) and our older kids went off to their lock-in or over to another family's home for their own New Year's party, we played "Pit." It was a vintage version of the game, too. Do any of you remember it or still play? Everyone trades one, two, three or four cards to get a full house of "wheat" or "corn" or "rye" etc. You only want the "bull" card if you have a handful of the same card and are about to win. You don't ever want the "bear" card. Twice I had both in my hand when someone went out. That meant -50 pts. for each of those cards. Somehow, I still won the game and was the first one to (almost) get to 500. They called it finished at 490. In between each hand, we all took a turn reading aloud to each other from the Gullah Nyew Testament. That was rich fun!

Here is an example: from 1 Thes. 5: 16-22

"Rejaice all de time. Neba stop da pray. Ain mek no nebamind wa happen, oona mus tell God tankya fa ebryting. Cause dat how God wahn oona fa lib, oona wa done come fa be one een Jedus Christ. Mus dohn stop de Holy Sperit fom do e wok eenside oona. Wen people da taak wod wa God pit een dey haat, oona mus dohn hole em cheap. Mus listen ta um. Mus look at ebryting good fashion fa mek sho weza e fom God fa true. Den ef e good, oona mus hole fast ta um. Mus stay way fom ebry kind ob ebil."

...and that is how we spent our New Year's Eve and early New Year's Day. How about you?

Javamom