No extended family. No friends. It's just going to be the four of us. Have I told you how much I LOVE saying family of four? hee hee!!
What a difference a year makes. Last New Year's eve, I was obsessing over our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) and consequently making everyone in my house nuts with my anxiety. For all of my adoptive friends who are still waiting (whether it be your referral or your LOA or your TA) please know that I'm thinking of you. I feel your pain and I'm happy to vent with you anytime.
As a family, we're looking forward to 2009 because it's the end of all of Josie's major medical interventions. Now, we get to focus on all the normal family stuff instead of meeting with new medical staff.
Happy New Year's! Here's a fun craft that can be used for your upcoming Chinese New Year's celebrations.
Hewlett Packard has a great set of Chinese printables on their website. They even include instructions for making paper lanterns. Emma and I worked on these lanterns thinking they would be fun to use on New Year's Eve, and then again at the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday celebrations in late January.
For this project you'll need vellum paper (we bought our paper at Michael's), votive candle holders, tea light candles, scotch tape, scissors and a color printer.
Step 1. Download art from website (see link).
Step 2. Add vellum paper to your printer.
Step 3. Print design onto a piece of vellum, and set aside to dry completely. Each page will include two votive cover designs.
Step 4. Fold design in half.
Step 5. Using scissors, cut along the marked lines.
Step 6. Tape ends of each piece of vellum together to form a cylinder.
Step 7. Place cylinder over a votive candle holder and press down slightly to create lantern effect. Aren't they festive?
Okay, I am not crafty at all, but I definitely have to try the lanterns--they are gorgeous. I love your header photo, too!
ReplyDeleteI understand about keeping it small. We were around a lot friends and family for Tgiving and Christmas. We are going to take the girls to a nice dinner and a movie tonight.
I was stressing about LOA last year, too! I'm much calmer this time around. Of course, I haven't seen his/her face yet ;)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
OK, I'm going to have to give those lanterns a try. They're beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLove the new look of the blog too.
We will also be staying in tonight---as we do every year. We haven't even been staying up till midnight.
It's going to be another year whether we're conscious or not, is the way we see it :)
Tell Emma to have fun playing board games.......NO ONE here will ever play with me :(
Happy, Happy New Year!
Love to you guys.
Happy New Year, Kim! Your evening sounds like ours-- minus one kid. Last year we let our daughter have a non-alcoholic teen party with about a dozen teens,(she was 18) and it was fun but stressful to have all those hormones packed into one house. We did virgin daquiries and sparkling wine (fake...), but this year we are having a quiet evening of 3. Ah...peaceful quiet.....(and we'll slip Lexi a children's benadryl so she doesn't freak out over the fireworks in the neighborhood!)
ReplyDeleteevery time you mention a craft i feel so guilty ...i am the least crafty person plus i just don't like craft stuff ... glue, glitter, piping, paint, YIKES ... the problem is my girls love crafts !!! help, what can i do?
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a nice and relaxing evening!!
ReplyDeleteThe lanterns are too cute, and so easy!!
Happy New year, my friend!
Love, Barb
LOVE the blog header....so cute! Happy New Year to you, too! ; )
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Kenwards! Its so great catch up on your posts and wonderful pictures. I am glad that Josie continues to do so well. We love you! The Schaefer Family
ReplyDeleteThose are so cool!! I will have to try that out!!
ReplyDeleteCute lanterns!!!! We made some last year that were pretty cool... but they took a long time. Definitely need to try these instead.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that Josie's hand is progressing nicely!!! I LOVE your new blog look too!! What awesome crafts too!! You are truly a very crafty person!!! I love it!!! How sweet of your hubby to cook dinner!! I love it when Mark does too...except for clean up! But it's all good!!! I'm SO glad you got to enjoy New Years with just the four of you. We just celebrated with the five of us. I worked until 1:30am this morning on our two blogs. I had to get that book finished and the new blog up. Anyway....hope you are having a great day!!!
ReplyDeletehugs!
Buffi
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like your family (of four!) had a fantastic NYE -- so much fun.
Love the craft project. My girlios are too little for it, but I'm old enough -- maybe I'll make some of these for CNY (and we get to see you for the big gala - fun!).
Can you and Josie make it to the Children's Museum on Friday, the 9th at 10:00 for a Mommy n' Me playgroup activity? I know you work, but I don't know if you have any flexibility with it.
Have a wonderful, blessed 2009!
Kelly
Now, I know we will have to try those lanterns. We made some last year, but not nearly so attractive.
ReplyDeleteI already miss the Chrismtas decorations, so we will enjoy some Chinese New Year ones!
Robbie
That is an amazing craft! Not so crafty here, but I'd love to try them for CNY! Blessings in this New Year~
ReplyDeleteConnie
LL family waiting again ...
Happy New Year Kenwards!!
ReplyDeleteThe new banner for your blog is so beautiful.
We were in the same boat last year. I was miserable through out the holidays, doing everything to get our girl home! So true, what a difference a year makes.
The lantern designs are awesome. I am already looking forward to CNY.
Blessings to your sweet family in 2009!!!
we made those lanterns last year, instead of candles we made a string and hung them across our windows... I have to get started again Chinese New Year is just around the corner!
ReplyDeleteHim Kim, and Happy New Year to you al! May 2009 be a year filled with happy times and good health for you all! I look forward to introducing our Maiya to you all, once we bring her home. No TA yet, but I will definitely post as soon as we have it. We likely won't travel until February given Chinese New Year, so I will definitely be making these lanterns! I love them!
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the tips on posting video! We tried posting directly through Blogger, but the files wouldn't upload. They are mpeg4 files, so that may be the problem. They were under the acceptable size, so that wasn't the problem.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your time off with your family of 4!
xxoo-
Susan & Roger
Happy New Year! The lights are wondeful. Hopefully we can get together soon.
ReplyDelete