Ringing in 2012...1 day early

We have a little tradition in our family.  We go out to eat (early) on New Year's Eve with Lollie and Papa.  Sometimes Uncle and Aunt C are in town and sometimes not.  Every year is different.  This year they were in town, but were heading out to drive the 8+ hours back to Va. on the 31st.  Soooo, we decided to ring in the New Year a day early.  Good thing, because someone got sick.  But more on that in a minute.

It is always fun to get dressed up and go out to eat at a fancy-smanchy restaurant.  Where we went this year has definitely evolved as far as eating establishments go.  Back in the day (like when I was in high school), they did super casual Italian...with a high amount of take-out.  Lollie even used them to feed the cheerleading squad one pre-game supper--ha!

Aunt C is starting at the U.Va's nursing school in the Spring...Can you guess what we got for Christmas?!  Lollie was holding Papa's shirt, since he was meeting us at the restaurant.

Now it is just known for great, rustic, authentic Italian food.  They may still do some catering, but it has come a long way from the poly-styrene, paper napkins and plastic cutlery of days gone by.

We had a fun night hangin' out with the fam and said our goodbyes to Aunt C and Uncle.  Then we headed home to get the Noodle in bed and watch The Help, which I had just gotten from the library--I know.  Raising the roof, crazy times............except in the middle of the night, J woke up feeling sick.  Turns out he was sick 3 more times that night and woke up on the Eve with a low-grade fever.  Yuck!  He remained sick and so we stayed in on the actual New Year's Eve and just chilled.  Ditto for today, which is kinda too bad, since we always host both sets of parents for a pork-sauerkraut-potato-palozza shin-dig.  Sigh.  We'll just have to reschedule and hope and pray that J's ushering in 2012 with a sick tum isn't a forecast of things to come! 

 Even with one sick-o, we still had a nice New Year's Eve and New Year's day.  It is really all about being with those you love, isn't it?  Hope your 31st/1st was filled with laughs and love!!!  Here's to 2012 (really?!?!?)!