the sun sets on 2011

on the last day of 2011 i enjoyed a luxurious morning of sleeping in and reading. my friend and i ran some errands, gathering goodies for that night, picking up a few odds and ends. we drove back to san jose with just enough time for a quick stop to say hello to my parents and to make our last few stops before heading to the hot tub of wisdom for a final hurrah.

we started our celebration with pizza and catching up, and pretty soon after we hopped into the spa. we even put some cookies into a tupperware and discovered that they float in the spa! the tupperware was a great serving dish in the spa - we would just pass it back and forth and let it float around!

while snacking and relaxing, we reminisced all of the trials and joys of 2011, and boy was it a life changing year. relationship struggles, heartbreaking and momentous loss, beautiful new additions to our friends' families, all of the incredible things life brings. when the clock neared midnight, we prepared a special treat - dom perignon - purchased in honor of an amazing mother we lost that year. at the chime of midnight, we had a special toast to celebrate all of the gifts she shared with each of us. it was beautiful and heartbreaking.

after our toast, we took part in a new year's tradition a colombian friend of mine shared with me. in her family, every person eats 12 grapes at midnight on new years, and makes a wish with each grape. although we were ill-prepared (i.e., no grapes), we decided it would be a good idea to put a little twist on the tradition - and wish on 12 tiny shots of colombian wine (that's like grapes, right?). it was a fun tradition, but perhaps not recommended, as 12 shots of wine - no matter how tiny - do add up quickly.

we continued celebrating the closing of a tough year, and all managed to land safely into beds for a good night's sleep. well, a mostly good night's sleep for me, as i fought with my friend's beloved and giant bulldog for room on the bed. delilah! scoot over!