Let's see how far we've come...

We spent last night at our friends Uli & Birgit's, along with two other couples with kids. New Year's isn't really a very kid-friendly holiday and so we all gathered together to create an environment where we could celebrate and still have a bunch of children (of which Niklas was the oldest) running around. Overall it was a big success.

We started around 6pm with oysters on the half shell (which my friend Jeff opened & I cleaned up), smoked salmon, and Prosecco. We then prepared and cooked dinner which consisted of 3 courses (pasta, fish, and dessert). The kids ran around while dinner cooked and the adults drank wine.  At midnight we bundled up the kids that were still awake (only a couple including Niklas) and headed outdoors to watch the fireworks, drink some Champagne, and twirl some sparklers. We stayed overnight at their apartment to avoid having to drive.

Overall it was a really nice way to spend New Year's Eve: Relaxed and fun with lots of good friends and food.

Another 4th of July is here, although around here nobody celebrates Independence Day, strangely enough.