New Years Eve

After months of talk, Larry finally convinced a group of our friends to spend New Year's Eve at a cabin on Dale Hollow Lake in Alpine, TN.  We started out our trip by meeting everyone at the Cracker Barrel in Lebanon.  Table for 20, anyone?  After our leisurely breakfast we hit the road with mixed CD's supplied by Larry.  Our next stop was Cummin's Falls for a quick hike to the water falls.   Phillip tried some fly fishing and the kids loved exploring by the water.

Jude and Lofton holding hands

Our next stop after the hike was in Livingston.  Christy's grandma lives there and offered to feed us all lunch.  It was perfect because everyone was hungry after our hike and the chocolate cobbler was amazing!  After lunch we swung by the grocery store for a few things and then headed deep into Tennessee back roads to find our cabin.

Mapquest said it would take about 2.5 hours for us to get there.  It actually took us around 8 hours!!  But we had fun along the way and the journey's most of the fun, right?

We finally got to the cabin.  The kids went crazy and the adults staked out rooms.    Reesi brought out a fart bomb immediately.  Not sure what Santa was thinking when he put those in her stocking!  She put it in the boys room.  They were a little suspicious and carried it back into the girls room to ask what it was.  Then is burst in Lofton's hand.  It really didn't matter because it actually stunk up the whole basement.  It smelled like a rotton egg and hung around all night.  The hot tub had to heat up and the kids could not wait to get in.They only asked us about 20 times that night if it was hot enough yet.  The men went straight out to build a fire and talk deep thoughts.  Phillip had brought enough food to feed an army and made the best steak and potatoes for dinner.  There is nothing better than having a friend that is a caterer!

Before dinner the Reesi, Ella, and Molly Claire had a spa night for the boys.  Lofton, Jude, Will Sawyer, and Landon got their nails painted, feet massaged, and a sticky face mask.

 The kids loved their fancy glasses Christy brought.  

My only regret of the week is that we didn't bring enough chips!

After our yummy dinner, the adults played Catch Phrase while the kids disappeared into the basement.  We then celebrated New Year with the kids at 11:00, , shush, don't tell!  Then they were off to bed.  The adults were winding down at this point and most of them disappeared to bed shortly after the real New Year.  However, Larry, Phillip, and I celebrated the New Year in the hot tub with a little game of Coke or Pepsi.  There is nothing better than spending New Years with your kids and your friends!

 The kids enjoying their sparkling grape juice while Phillip works on malfunctioning party favors.  

 Larry decided he needed to take a picture with his phone.

 See, his phone takes pictures too!

 Party animals

This is are the kind of pictures you get when you leave your phone laying around.