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.