When I was younger, my ultimate dream was to spend New Year’s in New York’s Times Square. Or at least it was, until MTV ruined the entire holiday.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to appreciate the opportunity to keep New Year’s Eve low-key. My first New Year’s Eve in Merced was spent with Chinese food and an Entourage marathon. Last year, Dan and I went out to dinner, and then came home and watched the ball drop in our pajamas. And Raeann’s Mad Men-themed New Year’s party the year before that was the most dressed up I’d been in YEARS.

So when I found out that neither my parents nor Rae and Stephen had plans for New Year’s, I devised a brilliant plan for us to all come together, eat dim sum and ice cream, and go to bed at 12:05 AM.

Some choice photos from the evening:

Our dim sum FEAST.

Feather headdresses are sexy.

MoMo got in on the celebration.

Dan said we look "way too sober" in this picture. NOT POSSIBLE.

Basically, it was perfect.

Happy 2012, y’all!