Mielke Family Fun: New Years Eve 2013

When I was younger, I used to LOVE going out on New Years Eve and I was actually able to stay awake until midnight. I started dating Scott in August of 1996 and sometime in December we started discussing how to celebrate New Years Eve - he was working Christmas so we'd have 'our Christmas' at New Years. I was looking forward to going out with friends, drinking a lot and celebrating the new year.... he suggested Grand Forks' First Night celebration - a non-boozy family friendly outdoor celebration in downtown Grand Forks. I was young and in love...so I agreed. As I was leaving my sister's house that evening, I said to her, "What do I say if he asks me to marry him?!" We'd had 'the talk' and knew it was in our future - and I had already set parameters for a proposal. My sister and I laughed and came up with different answers, "Hmm.... sorry, someone else already asked me." "Well, I guess there's not a better offer on the table....so OK." "Sigh. I suppose." Scooter and I went to dinner at The Bronze Boot - a dinner club (a supper club) that I think had been the site of his parents' first date (I'm not 100% sure on that factoid). As we were having dinner I asked him, "So there's a bridal show coming up and discounted tickets end soon. Should I buy my ticket? Will we be getting engaged in 1997?" He hesitated, smiled and said, "Yes. Buy tickets." I was clueless....

So we went about our evening in downtown GF...cold as it was. We enjoyed many musical performances, ice sculptures, etc. and finally headed back to Scooter's house just after midnight. We exchanged our Christmas gifts and finally, in front of a lovely fire, he presented me with one more gift and asked me to marry him. So New Years Eve has always been special for us. Every year as we're falling asleep I say, "Aren't you going to ask me something?" and he sighs because I've kept him from falling asleep and usually mumbles something like, "Will you marry me?" and just as excitedly as I said on that first of many cold nights of 1997, I say, "Yes, of course."

So since then, we have never really gone out and partied in the manner that I used to in my younger days....we have found it just as much fun to stay in or go to friends' and play games etc. Now with the girls we enjoy ordering in and having a fun dinner at home and we usually play some games and stay up as late as we can. This year we picked up sushi (Carolyn and Scooter's favorite) and ordered Asian food from Anise Café. It was all very yummy. Scooter came home from work and like a good dutiful wife (with Elyse's help), I had a drink ready for him: