Traditions

Every Christmas my family gets together for a Christmas breakfast. We don't exchange gifts, we just get together and enj0y every ones company. This year was EXTRA special because my older brother Jeff and his wife Amy drove all the way from Cali! AND my aunt Kodi came from Denver with her baby boy Noah, who I met for the very first time! (We also had a few friends stop by...Linda and Brandy!) It was so great to see everyone and spend time with the entire fam!!! This is us...aren't we a great looking bunch!

After our breakfast with my family, we went over to Daniels parents house. We hung out there for a bit, then it was off to my Dad's house. 3 families in one day?!..we had enough at that point! So off we went back home. As soon as we walked in the house we all decided that it was a good time to have a few drinks! What a wonderful way to wind down on Christmas night!

just have to add that without those "few" drinks I WOULD NOT have done this snow angel! BURR!

I just want to share with everyone some of the best, cutest and easiest Christmas cookies EVER! I made the reindeer ones for a pot luck lunch for work, then I just did the others for fun!

Both are just the Betty Crocker peanut butter mix. So easy and delicious!!! The reindeer cookies have broken pretzels for the antlers, mini chocolate chips for eyes, and m&m's for the noses! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! This will be one that I remember for a long time!

How I celebrate...

EAT, EAT, EAT! Under no circumstance should you turn any kind of food offered to you away. I have consumed everything from cheeseballs and crackers to hotdogs to anything with chocolate! (and it's no where close to being over!) So I have decided that under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food! Have fun eat tons and I hope everyone will be surrounded by the ones they love and care most about.

My family came to us this year. My Aunt Kodi is here with her baby boy (who is just over a year old) whom I have never seen. And my brother Jeff and his wife Amy drove from Cali. They all got here on Friday and we all met at my mom's house and watched home videos which was a ton of fun! (I don't think me or Bobby have changed a bit...he is still a handful and I'm still a snot!)

My Christmas Tree

While I was making my wreath that I am so proud of, Monty would not leave me or the lights alone...so I decide to try the torture method and wrapped him all up in them and he just sat there looking so pitiful yet adorable! The entire time he was wrapped in them he just sat still not moving...what a good pup we have, we definitely lucked out with him! And I just wanted to wish everyone a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

(it's the best time of the year)

'Tis the season

Just 6 more days??!!?! (I think I might puke!) I thought I would share some of my decorations with you before I get way too busy and forget. I love being married and having a house of my own to decorate...as some of you know I use to be a Scrooge and wasn't not into Christmas at all. However, after celebrating with Daniel and his family the last couple of years I have grown to LOVE it! (BTW. please excuse the pics, I know they are not the best and I was going to wait and do this post so I could get some better ones...but that just isn't going to happen!) (These are hanging right above my dining table)
I'm really proud of this wreath...I made it all myself for under $6! And it goes perfect right above my fireplace! (yes we are missing stockings...give me a break, it's my first year in this house!)

***soon to come, my version of Christmas trees!!!

I can't wait anymore...

So, I originally wanted to do this post WAY earlier...BUT when I went to do it and get all of my pictures in order I noticed I didn't have all of them from the party on the computer...somehow when Daniel put the pics on the computer they didn't all transfer (and of course he deleted the memory card and I can't find them anywhere...boo.)

Anyway WAY back on Nov. 15 I threw a baby shower for my friend Sheena. I have never been in charge of hosting such a large party before but everything seemed to turn out just right! We had a large turnout of people! And her baby defiantly got spoiled!!!

My dear friend Trish took some of the pressure off and offered to make her delicious chicken salad (THANKS) and I had a couple of cheese balls and punch and "poopy diapers" (which is just a no-bake cookie in a napkin folded into a diaper)

(and I was super excited to get to use my very cute dishes for the first time!) Well, Sheena...I hope you enjoyed it and had a TON of fun with all of your friends...you truly are blessed to be surrounded by so many caring and loving people!

Thanksgiving is over...already?

Wow, that went by way too fast! Here it is the first of December and I didn't post anything about Thanksgiving. I guess it's never to late!

We went to Daniel's parents house this year (we probably will every year!) we had a total of 17 people there. There was a few who said they were going to come that didn't make it (which was fine with me, that just meant more leftovers for us!!!). It was really nice of them to invite my mom and my little brother over for dinner. We don't have much for family here, so I know that they were both extremely thankful to have a place to go enjoy a feast!!! My mom and I made pies the day before. Me, Daniel, and my little brother (Brandy also came to visit!) all went over to my ma's house and had pizza for dinner while we made the pies.

After Thanksgiving dinner we all sat around and chatted and looked at ads for "black Friday". Thanksgiving night we went to see Twilight for the 2nd time. Hope this doesn't ruin it for anyone...but it's WAY better the 2nd time! (I won't say why!)

I told myself after working retail for 7 years, I would never go shopping on that day...well I lied! We got up at 6am, which is way better than 4am when most of the stores opened up for business!!??! We went to 1 store, spent about 2 hours there then decided we had to eat, waited about 25 minutes for a table, ate, then went shopping some more!

(Have to throw in a horror story about shopping)

We were at the lovely Cache Valley Mall looking at some aprons for my mother-in-law. Me and Becky decided to go half-sies on one for her so we picked out the apron and took it over to the kiosk thingy to pay for it. Apparently aprons and flat irons go hand-in-hand because there was a lady (at the same kiosk) trying to sell flat irons. For some reason she decided to harass me...I told her (very politely) "No thanks" but she wasn't having any of that (she really wanted to style my hair) so she grabbed my arm and started pulling and yanking me over to the chair...UMM...REALLY??!?!? I decided that fighting against her was completely useless, so I stopped looked at her dead in the eyes and said "You need to let go of me RIGHT NOW." (I should have added "before I punch your guts out"!) She let go and I had to walk away, I was so PISSED!

After the mall, I met up with Brandy and we went over to the November-fest. I got home at 1pm and was EXHAUSTED so I took a nap and woke up at 4:30pm. Ready for more shopping? I was! So I went out for round 2!