New Year's Eve

Speaking of traditions, we spend New Year's with college friends. At our place or at a friend's cabin, each year a group of North Parkers and I gather to usher in the new year. This year we all piled into our home in Galena, and I brought reinforcements from Hope College.

There were just nine of us the first night: Kyle, Trish, and Eva Olson, Peter, Julie, and Wil TeWinkle, and the three of us. We talked theology and wandered the decorated streets in search of the perfect breakfast place.

Later we were joined by others: Kevin and Alison McKernan (with baby M due in April), Chris, Becca, and Ellis Newhouse, Peter Carlson, Mark and Naomi Peterson (with baby P due in Feb), Jon Heintzelman, Aaron Balsam, and Aimee Johnson.

The kids worked hard to cover the house with toys and the rest of us tried not to trip over them. We look forward to this gathering every year, but watching these kids have time together added a new element; as potential lifelong friends, every photo taken is blackmail for years to come ....

PS -- Thanks to GG and Papa TeWinkle for the matching PJs! With sippy cups, too, we couldn't tell Calvin and Wil apart!