Just Like Dick Clark's-Our New Years Eve was ROCKIN!!!

So I'm behind on my bloggy-blog, but I need to journal this for sure because it was probably my most favorite and memorable New Year's Eve. Normally I feel like it's kind of a lame holiday, and never lives up to the hype. But this year was soooo fun because Abby decided to throw a dance party. I enjoyed yummy snackies, awesome dance music and whipping myself around the dance floor like a crazy person! (and forcing hubby to join me during certain songs...and he looked so embarrassed, like he wanted to barf)


Pre-party, just getting warmed up flitting around the house!

Thanks Abby for hosting the best New Year's party ever!!!

Gretel's Haircut=My Highlight!!

I just loved watching Gretel get her very first haircut. It was so cute, and she seemed to know that she was in the best of hands, because she wasn't nervous at all. In fact, she relished every moment!
I think it was also the blue candy cane that my old co-worker Pam gave her to suck on, that she really enjoyed.


Having a little consultation with her stylist and telling her that she wanted to lose the mullet!

Grinning at herself in the mirror...

This smile is my favorite! You can tell she just thinks she's so cool!

Her blue-stained lips match her blue bruise from bumping her head the day before.

Posing for some after shots! Hab even round-brushed the top with the tiniest round brush!

Thanks for doing such an awesome job, Hab!! We loved the trip to the salon!!!

We really DID have a holly jolly Christmas.....

It's just taken me FOREVER to do a little post about it! My favorite part of going to visit our families over Christmas was that Gretel got her FIRST hair cut, and of course it was from Auntie Hab! I have so many pictures that I like from that, so I'm dedicating an entire post to it...(after this one) Here is just a little sneak preview of our little girlie at the salon...



Hanging out with John's side of the fam-Gretel had lots of fun with Ellie and Jane.




It was fun to see Jane for the first time, because she was just born in September. (The 23rd-Johnny's birthday too!)
I love how Gretel looks like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" wearing Grandma Cherry's glasses!

Me and my 'rents on Christmas Eve at Aunt Holly's house for a very fun and YUMMY dinner. Christmas Eve is also Holly's birthday!!

Christmas morning-Gretel is loving her new Richard Scarry book! Thanks, Mimi!

Johnny posing in his "mullet" outfit, as he calls it....business up top, party on the bottom

I'm sad that I didn't get a picture of Gretel, Hudson and Oliver all wearing their matching jammies from Mimi!

Enjoying our traditional delish, Christmas brunch!

Enjoying some of her new toys from Grandma Cherry and Grandpa!

Reunion for all-even the puppies!!!

My Cookie Exchange!!!

This year I hosted my first cookie exchange with the girls in my ward, and it was so much fun!! I remembered doing this activity a long time ago with my fave "Beehive" leader, Kristy O. and I just loved it. So I've wanted to host one ever since.

I made some snacks to eat along with the cookies-cinnamon rolls, cheeseball/crackers, truffles, hot cocoa and hot butterscotch.

I requested that my guests wear an ugly Christmas sweater/silly festive clothes, and there was a prize for best outfit and for best cookie-we voted anonymously!

THE GOODS:

These are all the cookies that we still had left after everyone had sampled and taken home a plate of them all, and we donated them to a women's and children's shelter.

THE GUESTS:

Courtney on the right (below) won best cookie with her snowflake sugar cookies!
They were so professional looking, and yummy too!

Below, Abby and Amanda posing in their awesome costumes! Abby won first place, and Amanda was close behind in second place! Great outfits; thanks for getting so into it!!