My mom and I had so much fun hosting our annual ornament exchange party, over the weekend! It is always the best party of the year, and we love doing it. I honestly can't believe we have been having this party for NINE years now. Crazy! Of course we have so many ideas for next year, since it will be the 10th annual party. We have so much fun entertaining together and we really love having a room full of our favorite women. Seeing the combination of my friends and my mom's friends is always fun, and I can honestly say that most of the friendships go both ways. I love all the women that my mom love, and she loves my friends like she loves me. These women are truly a gift, that's for sure! 

(ps, notice all the ornaments on our tree at the TOP of the tree... ha! Thanks to Solomon, of course.)

So thankful for a Mom who is also my best friend!

& really thankful for those sweet ladies that helped clean up while I put Solomon to sleep after the party. The sweetest clean up crew around!

that time of year when we all become thieves but its completely okay.

This year we celebrated Christmas with the annual Girls Only Ornament Exchange Party which is one of my most favorite traditions during the Holiday season! Since this is the 6^th year my Mom and I have had this party I think it’s safe to say it is most definitely a tradition. Every year is so special but this year hit a little closer to home since it was in my home! My first Christmas Party and I have to say, it was so much fun!!! I was a little nervous with the short amount of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas (and because of that rule I have - no Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving!!) but everything was perfect. Just the right amount of food… some spiked hot cider + glasses filled with wine, mingling, laughing and some stealing ornaments like they were made out of gold. The perfect night indeed!!!

lots and lots of ornaments!

the fab 6 missed their sixth member!

sister/sister

Thank you to all the wonderful women that came out to celebrate and take part this year! It was a great night and I have all of you to thank for that.

ps. I was also super excited to go hang my ornaments (I scored THREE!) on my tree this year instead of wrapping them up for safe keeping till I had a home and a tree. There may have been some misty eyes going on because I'm so thankful for everything in my life right now. Jesus is so good and I love to celebrate Him during the beautiful season! 

You can see some of the fun from last year's party HERE

I'm happy to say that I do have a new heart for Christmas this year.

Guess all those prayers worked...

Stealing ornaments and sipping champagne!

Yes.... on Saturday night twenty women gathered together in my living room and played a little game where it was perfectly fine to steal a pretty ornament from someone because that's just what you do at our 5th Annual Christmas Party!! It was awesome. I love these people a lot!

It’s kind of exciting that this yearly tradition has been living for five years… mainly thanks to my Mom since she does most of the work. I help but she is the brain behind it. Next year will be another story though… it will be at MY house and I will get to organize most of it. Decorate for all of it. Cook for a lot of it. All of this being done by a newly married woman. Yikes... fun stuff ;) Let’s be honest, I never help mom with the decorating because I just don’t enjoy it. I’m crossing my fingers and praying that I will have a new heart full of love for Christmas decorations next year since it will be my first home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Grinch. I love Christmas and even Christmas music {after Thanksgiving of course} but I've never been a fan of putting lights on a tree that could quite possibly fall on top of me and kill me at any moment. You can find me in the pre-lit clearance trees after Christmas trying to score an awesome deal so I won’t have to face that horror next year.Safety first, ya know? ;)

Thank you to all the wonderful ladies that came out this year for our party!! It was so much fun to laugh, eat, sip and enjoy this Holiday season with you! It really is the most wonderful time of the year!