New Year's Eve

We rang in the New Year with some of our wonderful friends from Sovereign Grace City Church. Thirteen people crowded into our small apartment for an evening of bunco. After helping throw countless parties at my parent's spacious home in Arizona, I had doubts about hosting an event in our 650-square-foot apartment. But my friend, Jaymie, pointed out that people in NYC expect to squish into small spaces. Well, squish they did. We even had people seated in our bedroom. Still, the cramming created a lot of energy, especially once the game started.

None of our guests had played bunco before, and several expressed suspicion of this "brainless game created by suburban housewives." Before long, however, loud shouts and laughter filled the evening. Clearly the suburban game translates well to the urban environment. I also learned that several seemingly mild-mannered members of the church are actually viciously competitive.

Everyone enjoyed the fine spread of food: my mom's famous sausage balls, Cucumber Slices Provencal, Kierstyn's Quick Pesto Roll-Ups, chips and salsa, fresh vegetables and spicy Ranch dip, Death by Chocolate, ginger wafers, and mini-chimichangas. Drinks: water, wine, coffee, champaign, and Martinelli's for the pregnant ladies (Karla and me) and our littlest guest, Pasha.

Mr. Miller was a master host, keeping his guests' glasses brimming, engaging all in conversation, and organizing the bunco tournament from start to finish.

We left the main room in chaos with confetti, glasses, and dice strewn about so that we could wake-up to it in the morning and savor for a little longer the joy we experienced in spending time with our friends.

Between rounds of bunco

Roll those dice!




Jaymie and Dan :-)

Tim takes the party hat to a whole new level

Brett likes confetti

Yolanda's creative solution for carrying a cell phone
while wearing a pocket-less dress

Keith opens the bubbly - only ten minutes to go!

CELEBRATE!