Not totally according to plan...

In the weeks prior to New Year's Eve 2009, I envisioned a perfect evening. You see, all of my sisters would be home for the holidays--and we all have wedding anniversaries at the end of December. So why not celebrate together, on one of the biggest nights of the year, at one of those swanky parties downtown?

In my mind, the evening was going to be a mixture of fun and romance. The fun would involve a triple date with my sisters and their husbands to go dancing at a hotel downtown, and the romance would involve Ryan and I staying overnight for some alone time. (The hotel had a dance/overnight package deal.)

This is what I pictured:

1. My sisters and I would spend the afternoon getting really dolled up. We would spread the curling irons and makeup across the counter of my dad's bathroom, and we would giggle and chat as Laura did the up-dos and Sarah did the make-up.

Check.

Apparently, Callum wanted to be with the boys.

Laura did a great job on my hair. She even made the clip!

2. The guys would spend the afternoon cooking us a fancy dinner. They would chop and marinate and steam and bake...and they would like it! After all, what man doesn't like to spoil his wife on their anniversary--especially when he knows that she is going to walk down the stairs looking like a hot mama?

Check.

Logan is an incredible chef, and he actually spent several days preparing the meal. It was six courses! Ryan said it was "the best meal of his entire life."

Ryan and Sam couldn't help too much with the exotic cooking, but they sure did set a beautiful table!

3. The women would then waltz downstairs and "wow" the husbands--who usually only see us in PJs and ponytails.

Check.

Don't worry--the fur coat was a total joke! I did not actually wear that thing out of the house!

They were so impressed by our transformation that they made us do a little impromptu photo shoot. This is only one of the many ridiculous photos that resulted. We are crazy when we are together.

4. The family would sit around a candlelit dinner table and reminisce to the sound of soft jazz music. It would be a highly sophisticated affair.

Check? (Well, at least we tried.)

Sam and Laura look oh-so-sophisticated with their pre-dinner "mocktails."

And who's that sexy bartender?

5. After a delicious dinner, we would take some group photos (like Prom all over again!), leave the baby with Grandpa, and head downtown for a night of romance.

Check.

These two studs were happy to stay home and chill.

6. Here's where things would really get exciting: We would arrive at the downtown hotel to hobnob with other classy young people. I pictured a ballroom strung with white twinkly lights; I imagined myself admiring lovely cocktail dresses; I hoped for at least a few slow songs to cuddle up to Ryan--ideally something classic like Frank Sinatra. It would be a glitzy and glam evening.

Yeah...this is where my vision fell apart. (Just be glad that I don't have any photos to post right here.)

I was right about one thing: It did get exciting when we walked into the hotel (through a mob of waiting guests, a heavy cloud of cigarette smoke, and a barrage of profane words). The skin-tight, leopard-print, street-walker dresses were our first clue that perhaps we were overdressed (literally); and the girl who threw up on herself in the lobby was the real kicker. Logan literally had to jump out of the way. So much for ambiance!

Still hoping to make the best of the evening (maybe we could find a secluded corner to dance outside of the mayhem?) my older sister decided to try to pick up our tickets. She waited in what was supposed to be a line while we dropped off the luggage in our rooms. When I finally made it back to her through the masses of intoxicated, pimped-out party-goers, she had not moved an inch and dramatically threw her arms around me, shouting, "DON'T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE EVER AGAIN!!" It was hilarious.

The horde of people waiting to get into the dance was growing angrier by the minute, and the large bouncers seemed to be having trouble fending them off. At this point, we looked at each other and asked, "Do we really want to get trampled to death on New Year's Eve?"

So we left.

And outside, there were some delightful fireworks.

So the evening didn't go exactly how I had hoped, but it was still a ton of fun. And to be honest, my vision of a "perfectly romantic evening" was much more of a delusion than a possibility--after all, we went to the cheapest hotel-sponsored dance we could find. What can you expect?!? Not twinkly lights and Sinatra!

OH WELL! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!