Cookie Exchange

Only over 2 weeks late on posting this one!! Sheesh.

My friend Brandi Lane invited me to her cookie exchange, I couldn't make it last year, as I was having a baby, so I was so pumped to make it this year. Again, it fell on Harper's birthday, but I still really wanted to go. So after we had her little party at home, I left her with Daddy to go to bed (yes I felt a little guilty, but I am pretty sure she didn't even notice me leave).

A cookie exchange, what a brilliant idea!! It includes all of my favorite things: baking! cookies! and wine! We should really have these at least once a week!

I, in true Amy fashion, waited till the DAY OF the cookie exchange to bake my 6 dozen cookies (yup that's right, 6). I thought "I have this under control, I will put the kids down for naps and have 2 glorious hours of baking" and in true Hall children fashion, the kids had other plans!! Harper napped for about a minute, Paxton wouldn't nap at all, so I had 2 kids running around and a war zone in my kitchen. I was actually going to make 3 different kinds of cookies, but due to the circumstances that prevailed, I only made 2 kinds (Paula Deans peppermint whoopie pies will have to wait for another day.) So, needless to say, it was complete kid, cookie batter, chaos in my house.

The party was a great time, I couldn't believe the amount of cookies that were there! HEAVEN! I went home with so many different kinds of cookies. Thanks B Parks for a fun night!!

Coconut macaroons before....(when it says use parchment paper.....USE PARCHMENT PAPER)

And coconut macaroons AFTER they were dripped and drizzled with chocolate ganache.

Cream cheese snowballs batter, the picture cannot convey how creamy this batter was, amazing!

Cream cheese snowballs, except mine weren't too bally (yeah made that word up), but when warm, these cookies MELT.IN.YOUR.MOUTH.

Had to keep baby girl away from the hot stove and my busy feet, she didn't like it very much.

She kept putting her arms up to me, so hard not to pick her up.

Trying to figure out how to get the gate down, I think she succeeded at one point.

The Hostess with the Mostess

Thanks B!

Birthday Post, part 2...

Ok consider this your warning about the picture overload in this blog post.......

I will keep the writing short and sweet, mainly cause I already typed this once and my internet quit and I lost it all, so I am annoyed and don't wanna write a ton again. (By the way, I wrote an entire paragraph after this and then hit a key and it ALL disappeared, my computer is going out the window!!)

Gah! To sum it up (for the 3rd freakin time) we had a combo party for Harper and my nephew Aiden (he turned 2 on the 12th) last Saturday in Kansas City. The theme was buckeroo and we found out fast that the bad thing about having a girl/boy combo party is deciding on colors. What boy wants a pink party and what girl wants a blue one? Weeeelllllll....we didn't have to choose since we could not find any girl themed buckeroo stuff (seriously Party City and Hobby Lobby? NO girl EVER wants a buckeroo party? Let's get with it). So blue and red was the color we went with (I am so sorry baby girl, I will make it up to you next year with the pinkest party you have ever seen). It was super adorable though, and Harper didn't seem to mind :) Plus she still got to wear her adorable pink cowboy(girl?) boots so it was all good.

We opened presents, watched the kids play, ate some yummy soup (perfect for the freezing day we were having) and hung out. Later that night my siblings and I played games and drank some vino. All in all it was a great weekend with family, friends and fun times had by all.

And now I am going to post this bad boy before I erase it again and have to be committed!

The girls battled the frigid temps to go shopping (ok we HAD to cause we didn't have decorations yet).




Sarah got to drive Swagger

We were waiting for our balloons at Party City and got a little bored so Mom and sisters decided to put on these masks. I about wet my pants from laughing while I took the picture!!

Mikey Boy hard at work putting together Aiden's train set

Amber told me "you better not be taking pictures of me with these socks on" so OF COURSE I did what any sister would do and got a close up of them!!

Adorable train table

Aiden coming down to see his train table for the first time, he saw it and yelled "TWAIN!!"

I think Pax was plotting on a way to get the train table home with us.

Buckaroo table

Little girl all ready for her party!!

My friend Tiffany made this tutu for her, LOVE IT!

Baby legs and boots....yeah baby!!

Birthday buddies, they share parties AND their snacks!

They can hardly contain their excitement, can ya tell?

My favorite.

Grandma Honey came!! One of Nana Halls friends.

They aren't spoiled or anything, right?

Harper and Papa Long

Giving her dolly a kiss.

Amber and Mom cooking/eating :)

Nana Jana with her grandkids, IMPOSSIBLE to get a good one of all 3!

SO HEAVY!!

Sitting IN her present

I love this one!!! Pushing her baby in the stroller!! She got about 6 new dolls for her birthday.

Kissing her baby

"what do you mean I have to wait for you all to sing to me before I eat my cupcake!!

She just couldn't wait and took a swipe of frosting while we were singing.

Aiden's turn!

He snuck a bite too :)


My friend Brandy made this adorable hat and bib for Harper to go along with the Buckaroo theme. Check out her ETSY site she makes lots of cute stuff!!

And AFTER she finished hers, she went and mooched off Brother!