The annual Ornament Party!

AHHHH!!!  This is the party that I look forward to EVERY year!  I feel like it really marks the beginning of the holiday season for me!  And it's a great time to get together with friends, AND the best part is the fact that we all get to share one or two of our favorite treats/appetizers with everyone, while catching up with those we don't see very often...  Oh and I can't forgeg about the ornament stealing!!  ;)  I LOVE this tradition that Jessica and Melissa started years ago!  :)
Thanks for the pictures Jessica....  :)

Part of this year's spread!!!  :)

There is definitely NEVER a shortage of food/treats!  ;)

Me and Jessica!

Some of us girls!  I always think it's amazing how long we've known each other...  High school seems like such a long time ago!!  ;)

haha!!  SOMETHING must of been REALLY funny!!  :) 

 third time's a charm!!  ;)

Me, Jaime and Jessica...  <3

....and we turned around and Mary was modeling!!  haha!!

This little guy came out of nowhere with his binky, and blanket...  and snuggled right on up!! I LOVE when they do that!  ;) I think out of all of the kids he's been the BEST snuggler!! Notice the cookie...  How could I resist not giving him one??  and the funny think is...  he held it like that forever..  guess he just wanted it for "security?"  ;)

....The ornaments.... ALL ready to be exchanged!  :)

....and the girls, getting ready for the exchange!!  ;)

....and our group shot...  This is always the FUNNEST part of the evening...  Have you ever tried getting 20+ people to look and smile at the same time??  haha!!  ;)

Thanks again Jessica for hosting a fun ornament exchange party.  It's always a great time!!  :)  I can't wait until next year!!  ;)

Strawberry Cake Pops!

..... For a Special little Girl!!

I had so much fun making these little guys...  And it was so special to me that Kati asked Sophia if she wanted me to make her some cake pops...  when she told me that, and that Sophia had said yes, I went to work!  ;)

I was armed with all the supplies that I needed and with Bakerella's wonderful book!  ;)

Thank you Kati for letting me borrow yours...  This is a GREAT book, and it has specific instructions on exactly how to make the cake pops...  If you don't have one of these, you should get one!!  ;)

Sophia was having a Strawberry Shortcake Party so Strawberries were on the menu!  ;)

Mike and Gaby were busy on this here day....  so I enlisted the help of my mom... I told her it was because I wanted company, but I think we both knew it was really because I wouldn't of been able to make these guys by myself!!  ;)  THANKS mom....  We did a good job!  ;)

I started out by piping out the "leaves!"

 ....and of course I forgot to take pictures of the "process."  But here is a few of the final product..  My mom was in charge of the "seeds,"  didn't she do a good job??  ;)

...and in the midst of my "procrastination," and finding the need to do MORE, I went ahead and made these guys too!!  :)  I had bought the molds for another party we had planned and actually never got to use them...  BUT I thought this was the perfect occasion to whip them up!

I was really happy with how they all turned out...  and I was super surprised to see how cute they looked inside the little fence that Kati created for them...  There's no doubt that "presentation is EVERYTHING!"

Happy Birthday Miss Sophia! 

I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!  :)

It's wedding time.....

.....again!!  ;) (I feel like I've attended a wedding at least once every couple of months this year!!)
This time it was my cousin Alan and his wife Chrissie

 She's English... so we started the night with these yummy cucumber sandwiches..  It was VERY appropriate, and they may very well be my new favorite!  :)

 Cousins! 

 More cousins!  haha!  these guys crack me up!  :)

 The pretty table settings!

 The reception was at someone's house... and I fell in LOVE with their backyard waterfall!  ;)  it was BEAUTIFUL!

Cousins!

The "couple" table

Bea and gramma Grace!

This is one of my favorites!  ;)

.....Then we used the waterfall as a backdrop!  ;)

....and i decided to board the titanic!!  haha!!  it was too funny not to post!  ;)

Oh you meant we should of smiled??  like this?? 

haha!!  my mom wasn't feeling good and couldn't come, but my aunts kept my dad entertained...  :)

Me and Tanya!

awww...  Love him!!  :)

my dad and gramma Grace!

Chrissie wore purple shoes under her dress...  :)  CUTE!

The bride!

I fell IN LOVE with these flowers at the entrance....  :)

soooo pretty!

....the BIGGEST bottle of tequila made it's debut as the afternoon moved in...  and YES, they/we/everyone polished it before the night was over...  HONESTLY!!

Time for a toast!

Cheers!

The first dance!

they were so cute!  :)

Time for the father-daughter dance!

.....and the mother-son dance

LOVE these pictures of my cousin and aunt!  :)

Time for a picture with Dad!

The sunset from the backyard was seriously awesome!

....Then it was time to start the dance party!  I will let the rest of these pics do the talking...  ;)

....then again maybe not, ;)  chit-chatting on the dance floor!

The sun/sky was beautiful!  :)

haha!

Alex and Natalie

The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!!  ;)

....still dancing!!  haha!

...stirring the pot, stirring!!!  haha!

....after the sun set, the sky was awesome, so Natalie and I took a minute to go take pics with the sky behind us!!  ;)

Here's to another fun wedding celebration!!  :)

and here are a few "sunset" pictures from my phone!!  ;)

It was seriously BREATHTAKING!

Here's to another fun family filled fun night...  complete with a beautifully painted sky!!  :)

One more wedding down....  one more to go!!  ;)