New Years

We started a new tradition for new years eve this year. Every year we will pick a country and celebrate new years how they would. This year we picked Scotland! And I was happily surprised that to start Hogmanay you must clean your house to invite good spirits. (The kids weren't too excited about this and thought that maybe we were making it up). Then at midnight (which happened to be 5pm our time) we sing Auld Lang Syne which is the song that plays in America but actually originated in Scotland! and drink whiskey which we replace with Martinellis sparkling cider. Followed by first footing.

We had to prepare a bit for first footing which involves being to first to your neighbors door to greet the new year and present a gift of salt, shortbread, coal, whiskey, or black bun. So we made shortbread empire biscuits.

Then at "midnight" we marched down the street to bagpipes to deliver our treats.

We came back home to prepare our meal of bacon butties and mash. And of course dessert with sticky toffee pudding!

We finished the evening with a caber toss and dance that the girls practiced while we cooked.

New years day we went for a hike to Tanque Verde Falls.

Sophie got a camera for Christmas and had fun taking pictures of all the water.

We made it to a cool waterfall and stopped for lunch.

William loved that there was a cactus that looked liked Mickey and Easton found one that looked like Yoda.

Christmas and December Activities

We decided this year to sell our family chocolates on a grander scale and did really well! We ended up meeting our goal. We got to be a vendor at a friend's Christmas shop and the girls did a great job helping.

We went to Winterhaven on a very cold night but it was nice since not very many people were there.

We went for a little hike in a wash and found a tortoise friend. 

On Christmas Eve the kids opened the gifts they got for each other before heading over to Grandma and Grandpa Miller's house.

After dinner Santa showed up and left presents and William's mind was blown that there was foot prints. Easton determined that Santa had to have flown up to the roof since the footprints mysteriously disappeared.

Christmas morning was so nice. It was the first year we got to calmly sit and the kids patiently waited their turn to open a present. Grandma and Grandpa Clayton came over and enjoyed it with us!

Chad had some time off after Christmas so we went on several hikes! First we hiked in Sabino Canyon in the rain and completed the junior ranger program.

The next day we went hiking in Saguaro National Park.

We made 4 miles which is a family record with the youngest of the bunch. Lydia and Chad went further then that. It was nice to hike in cool weather and bonus there was water running in the canyon!

And to finish out the year Easton harvested his purple cauliflower!