Christmas Festivities

This December has been a really fun month full of not only the usual Christmas preparations, but some great times with family AND friends. Drew and I had a blast getting the house ready for Christmas and it seemed like we were both able to do the things we enjoy this time of year. For Drew, that means hunting and for me, it means putting out Christmas decorations, making holiday shopping trips with Larissa, and attending some holiday parties.

This December...

My sweet friend Brittany hosted a wine glass exchange party. It was a really fun time and I actually got to see some people I hadn't seen in ages. It is crazy to see who knows who when you get several circles of friends together. I wish I had taken some pictures but we were too busy sipping on wine and playing dirty Santa with the wine glasses we had all brought.

This December...

Drew and I attended a 'tacky holiday sweater' party hosted by my two friends from high school, Alisha and Lauren. I can't believe I actually got Drew in this sweater vest I found at K-Mart!! And yes, we match! :)

This December...

My mom, sister, and me got together and had a HUGE bake day! It is no secret that I didn't get the cooking genes in the family, but I can take good directions and had a blast making some delicious treats for our family, friends, and co-workers. Larissa and I went shopping for all the ingredients on Friday night, we all baked a full 6 hours on Saturday, and then another 3 hours on Sunday!

I think Larissa calls these, "Chocolate-Peanut Butter Messies" haha! So So good!

My dad even got in on the action and made a TON of his homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies. The funny thing is that I think we gave him the smallest counter space to work on, but he made due...with a smile on his face :)

I made my fireside cocoa mix to give out. I love this stuff on a cold winter afternoon!

We also made over 200 rolo-pretzel treats. Not sure what there official name is but they are fantastic! These are perfect when you are craving a salty and sweet snack.

We also made spritz cookies. This was the first time for me to make these and they were actually really fun. We made all sorts of shapes including wreaths, Christmas trees, and ornaments, all of which had sprinkles to make them extra cute.

This December...

Drew and I made a visit to Garvin Woodland Gardens. It was our first trip there during Christmas and we really enjoyed all the lights. We made it a date night and went and ate at Blue Monkey in Hot Springs afterwards. After all the family/group events going on, it was nice for just the two of us to get away for a little QT.

Love how Drew decides not to smile :-/

This December...

Drew and I headed to Christmas Eve mass at Christ the King with my parents and sister. For some reason, this is one of my favorite things about Christmas. There is just something about getting all dressed up and spending a few hours with the family at church before the fun, yet crazy Christmas day. I snapped a quick picture on our way to mass.