Bonne Année!

Back when Ben was still scooting around on his bottom, eating pureed peas and bald as Charlie Brown, Mark came up with a brilliant plan for celebrating New Year’s Eve as a family.  He found out that midnight in Paris is 6:00 pm EST and voilà—our French New Years tradition began.

To welcome 2011 we invited the Young family to join in the fun.  We played French music, sipped Champagne (or for some, gulping may be a tiny bit more accurate), gave the kids their first round (or two) of Shirley Temples  (Leah’s childhood favorite “grown-up” drink), dunked some goodies in chocolate fondue, got our sparkle on and welcomed the new year at 6:00 pm.  After the countdown and kisses, the kids went to bed pretty much on time and we had a few quiet hours of our own- brilliant and joyful.

Speaking of joyful, that is the theme we have claimed for two thousand and eleven.   On a too infrequent date night dinner last week, we had the chance to assess the past year and look to the new one ahead.  It was obvious to us that this is a charmed season, the kids are full of a fleeting innocence, wonder, energy, sweetness and they possess such trusting, captivated hearts, that we want to intentionally soak in all these lovely moments.  We have abundant joy surrounding us each day as a family, no matter what is thrown at us, taken from us, or wounds us from the outside world. 

On our trip to Paris many moons ago, we took an evening boat ride along the Seine our first night in that magical city.  The lights shining on all the gorgeous architecture, kissing as we traveled under each bridge, looking up at the navy (Parisian!) sky, we cuddled close, thrilled that our dream was coming true right before our eyes and felt giddy joy. 

As much as we love that rose colored city, for us, even Paris ain’t got nothin' on Benjamin Mark, Clara Elizabeth Grace and a little corner of small town North Carolina simply called home.

Here’s to a joy-filled new year.  Oui?