The Ward Family: New Year's Eve & Ava's Baptism

Posted: 2011-01-19

The Ward/Reinschmiedt etc. family has been sick this past week. Tad got sick, followed by Ashley, Bryan, Mom, Ben & Angie, and finally Ryan and I. Fortunately it is just a quick 12 hour type of thing... but for three or four of those hours it is complete misery. I will spare you any details... We all are hoping Grandpa, Grandma, and Jacob are spared this sickness. Addison and Ava spent some extra time with Grandma Brenda while their parents were sick, and their doctor says they should be fine and should not get sick.

I remember growing up we always had a New Year's Eve party at Grandpa and Grandma Hermanski's house. We would get there in the afternoon, have dinner, and then the games began! We always started out with Bingo... and we made sure everyone won and received a prize. Throughout the evening many more games were played and many more prizes were given. We would turn on the television as midnight drew near and began the countdown. We all had party hats on and loud noise makers in our mouth waiting for midnight to strike. We counted down 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! We then proceeded (kids only) to parade and run around the house blowing our noisemakers and scaring Grandma's cat to death (she didn't really die). Then we would have breakfast! Bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes... the works! All of us kids would then sleep on the living room floor and the parents would head home.

The next day we ate black-eyed peas to bring us good luck during the year. Grandpa would always hang money on their light over the table. We would fill a bowl full of beans and then all take turns guessing how many beans were in the bowl. Someone would then count them and the person closest to the actual number of beans won the money! While we don't have sleepovers anymore, we still get together every year and eat black-eyed peas. Grandpa and Mom put money out for the contest... and I lose the contest every year. What a fun tradition we have.

Below: Tad was helping me make a dessert New Year's Eve. He was helping me push the cookies into the pudding.

Below: There might have been some finger licking going on also...

Below: Gigi loving on Ava. If you have a fussy or tired baby just bring them to Gigi. Ashley and Angie says she has the magic touch and will put them right to sleep.

Below: Ava looks so comfortable. She is growing so fast!

Below: Ben and Angie arrived with Addison and Tad immediately wanted to hold her. He then decided he wanted to share his balloon with her!

Below: Tad loves to watch nursery rhymes on the computer. A few of his favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row Row Row Your Boat, Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, Heads and Shoulders Knees and Toes, and many more!

Below: Bryan was dancing and singing Itsy Bitsy Spider to Addison and she was just grinning like crazy at him!

Below: Mom and Tad were doing Itsy Bitsy Spider! Yes that is a horse on the screen. The Itsy Bitsy Spider we watch goes through many different adventures!

Below: Mom loving on Addison.

Below: Addison was cheesing it up for Grandma and Gigi.

The following pictures are from New Year's Day.

Below: Tad wanted to hold both of the girls. He was so proud of himself and this picture is absolutely adorable!

Below: Addison has it figured out already. "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's"

Below: Aren't these just two of the cutest little girls you have seen?!?!

Below: We were trying to get Tad to pose by them and this is as close as we got.

Below: Uncle Ben was fixing Addison's swing and Tad was helping. Too cute!

Below: Uncle Ben's new game with Tad. Ben puts Tad on the headboard and he jumps off to him. Tad thinks it is the neatest thing ever!

Below: Tad having some dessert with his Momma!

Below: Tad thought all of the animals needed to take a nap so we laid them all on their side. We then had to lay down by them and pretend to rest also.

Below: New Year's day Apples to Apples action!

Below: January 2 Ava was baptized.

Below: Just precious. Ava did not even make a sound.

Below: On their way to communion. I couldn't see it from where I was taking pictures, but Tad knows how to wink and apparently throughout the entire baptism Tad was looking back at the family and was winking.

Below: Tad helping Addison with her paci... he looks pretty ornery in this picture.

Below: Grandpa Vic and Grandma Mel enjoyed some time with Ava.

Below: We were so happy Vic and Mel were able to come to Ava's baptism and have lunch.

Below: Grandma Mel handing Ava over to Gigi.

Below: Addison was a tired girl!

Below: It was so funny. Tad was having dessert with Grandpa Vic, and Grandpa Vic got to talking and didn't realize Tad was trying to take a bite and kept moving the fork farther away from Tad's mouth.... resulting in the picture below.