2026 Is Here!

2026 is here! I'm an early to bed kind of gal, so I can't say my New Year's Eve was overly exciting, but anything that creates family time is a win for me!

Over the years, we have had many different kinds of New Year's Eves. It always centers around family, friends, fun, and of course food. You know I'm always there for the food! This year it was one of my family's favorite dinners - jerk chicken nachos. The very first time I tried this recipe, we had a picnic in our great room, and every single time I've made these nachos since, we have dined on the floor. 

When they were younger and we lived near the most creative friend I have, we had photo booths, crafts, and balloons with an activity inside to pop every hour up until midnight. I miss time with that sweet family, but those memories and all the pictures I have still make me smile. 

For the past several years, the neighbors across the cul-de-sac have invited us outside for a little sparklers and fireworks celebration. Throw in some hot cocoa or sparkling cider (depending on the weather) and it always feels quite special. I'm thankful we have friends to celebrate with no matter where we have lived. 

We watch the ball drop in New York City, and since we live in the central time zone, it is only eleven o'clock here, which is close enough for me! I call it done and head to bed, leaving the diehards in our family waiting til midnight.

Stealing from my mom again, I have always served pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes on New Year's Day. Why? Because pigs don't walk backwards. At least that is what I was told when I was growing up in a Pennsylvania Dutch area. This year, however, I switched it up a bit, making a beef roast instead, without any complaints from my family. I was obviously the only true fan of pork and sauerkraut.

I am not a resolution maker, probably because I failed time after time when I was younger. Instead, I am looking forward to a new year of digging in to my writing again. Perhaps this will be there year all these thoughts and traditions morph into more than blog posts and into a book. That thought makes me look forward to getting the house back to normal, sitting with a fuzzy blanket and my laptop, and digging in. As I work on that, keep an eye out for new posts and lots of tradition ideas. 

Happy New Year!