cookie exchange extravaganza

i hosted a cookie exchange on thursday night. it was great (well i had fun anyway...and how can you go wrong, really, with hundreds of cookies at your disposal?) especially considering that i realized this was the first party i've ever thrown entirely on my own. all our dessert parties at BYU were co-sponsored by roommates and whatnot. but i guess my college education paid off ("don't PR people just plan parties all day?") because it seemed like everyone had fun...


mmm...this was my contribution...

catie and halie with their yummy oatmeal treats

friends loading up!

about 2/3 of the cookies that eventually showed up

about 11 people ended up coming, which was fine because i was afraid if anyone else showed up we wouldn't fit. :) it was a lot of fun...but let me just say that christmas as a grown up is STRESS-FUL. between christmas cards, this party, work parties and gifts, family parties and gifts...i almost can't wait for it all to be over. but thanks to an awesome ward choir rendition of o holy night and the fact that i'm only one-and-a-half gifts away from being done with my shopping, i'm finally starting to get into the real christmas spirit.

in other news i spoke in church today. i think the best compliment i received was from one of the elderly crazies, who said "i usually get so bored when people get up to talk, but not with you -- i didn't even go to the bathroom while you were up there." apparently she liked that i have personality when i speak (i made air quotes with my fingers during my opening...she loved that) and i also retold the story of The Three Trees which had her riveted. hahahaha. i said, "so i did a good job?" and she said, "no, girl, you didn't do a good job -- you had it goin' on!"

we leave for utah on saturday...if i make it till then.