When we started the new year in Iowa, it was to gather at a hotel with my parents and my siblings (and their families). Due to the distance for Hannah's family and the preemie arrival of Lucy, this holiday was different, but fun. John and I stayed two nights. The hotel pool was a great place to congregate. The nieces and nephews tiptoeing around the shallow end with their necks craned and faces turned upward. Some were celebrating how they can go under water. The boys were playing basketball, dunking and practically strangling each other to try to snatch the ball. Bekah and I choreographed a little dance in the water. Kids dangled off of adults shoulders in the deep end. Everyone enjoyed the whirlpool. Since the hotel had LOW occupancy, there was plenty of space and availability for our little group, which made it extra special.