New Year's Celebration

Paul <3s the McPhate cats

This is out of order because it takes forever to upload pictures from my phone onto the blog. So we're starting at the end; New Year's!
 
 We opted for a low key NYE with some of my best friends in good old Gladstone/Bville.  Lara and I started the evening with some wine shopping.  We dropped the boys at the Tavern, and we hit 56 degrees for some dinner and party tipples. 

Turns out 56 degrees has it's own MW!  Chris Cree got his MW in 1996 and is just the nicest, most down to earth, and helpful person I have come across in a NJ wine store (after a trip to Chester Liquors I was feeling a little sad about the state of wine affairs in the US).  Chris told us a bit about his MW trek, pointed us to some really great wines including a couple of reds from the Loire, Burgundy, Beaujolais (which was amazing with our sushi later on), and a great grower Champagne among others. 

Thanks Chris and team, I can't wait to come back and see what's new next year!

  
 Then we went back to Lara and Tommy's for some cheese and wine while we awaited the arrival of Kara and her husband Michael who I haven't seen in years!



 Then we hit our old favorite Tsuki.  No trip home is complete without some Tsuki.  Strangely someone wasn't a big as fan as we are and proceeded to plow their car right through the front.  Back luck?  Maybe, but not for us because the new tables are much bigger, a tad more private and you don't have to take your shoes off :)

We had an amazing dinner with rolls, shumai, and sushi all of which were delicious with Champagne and light reds of France, and better yet with friends I've known since middle school.

Post dinner we went back to Lara's for some ball dropping, wine, and bon fires.




Lara pours some more Champers


Craft beers.

Bromance.  xoxo The perfect new years, and we managed to stay awake longer than last year...2am!




The next day we had the brilliant idea to meet Kati, Steve and his girlfriend Taylor who we hadn't met, and JD for an NYC brunch.  Gotta love being hungover and driving through tunnels.




The brunch at Dell Amina was less than exciting, fine, but small, but the wine list was pretty good.  And we got to spend one final afternoon with my best friend.


Acidic, but delicious, Freisa.

The rest of the trip was spent shopping, renewing Paul's driver's license (a huge success!), hanging with my parents, cooking brussels sprouts,  catching up with the Laganas (they're huge! and so well spoken!), and avoiding the freeeeeeezing cold outside.  We had a really great lunch with Brady and Peter, caught up with Andrea over drinks, and had a kindergarten reunion with Kristen and Kurosh.

Every time Paul and I go home we learn a little more about the other person and get a glimpse into where exactly we came from.  I love my families and wish it wouldn't be so long until our next trip home :(  BUT only 3 months til Bali!!!!!!!!!