From the time I can remember, we have decorated Christmas cookies. My mom started it when we were young, and we are still keeping the tradition alive even 900 miles away. This was my first year to bake the cookies with Alyssa. She is surprisingly interested in baking with me and did a great job of stirring. She complained that it got hard when we added the flour and I just had to chuckle. My mom says I always complained that my hands got tired while stirring too. We stirred and chilled the dough, then rolled and cut out our shapes. It was a lot of fun to have someone to help me this year.
The fun of decorating came today. Ethan and I tend to take our time decorating, creating mini-masterpieces, while others like my brother are known for quantity not quality. I could not help but think of Brad lining his cookies up and icing them like an assembly line. Megan helped me decorate one for her and I thought it would keep her occupied for a bit. However, she must be getting sick because she did not want to eat her cookie or even try to lick all the icing off the table. Hmmm… So she resorted to goldfish while the rest of us decorated. It was a tradition that I have no desire of ignoring. Even the mess is part of the fun.
Nana’s special cookie – Alyssa decorated it first for her.
As for a new tradition for us, Alyssa and I decorated a ginger bread house. I could immediately see that I need to perfect my house building and icing placement. I got ahead of myself and most of it was dry before we could add candy. However, it was fun as well. Next year, I promise to improve my ginger bread building skills.
We will spend our first Christmas in Nashville together as a family this year. We will have our own special breakfast, open some presents, then even attempt our own turkey dinner. [Gasp] We fly out to Texas on the 26th and will celebrate and visit with family. I feel that we get the best of both this year – our own Christmas and getting to see family. Merry Christmas, friends.
Well done! I guess this is what traditions are suppose to do — to see all of your kids carry on in their own special way. I miss the big mess of all the kids and grandkids but I know each of you is making your own family tradition. Good! And thanks for not mentioning the creative reindeer the Eller boys and JM use to make!!!!
Sweet pictures! And Merry Christmas to you, too!
nice cookies. missing mr. hanky though! and rudolph’s shiny red…..
merry xmas, see ya’ll soon.
Your creativity amazes me. I attempted the Christmas cookies with Trey this year. This is how it went, add some frosting, lick it off, eat some of the cookie, grab another cookie…and the cycle continues. He had eaten one bite out of 5 cookies and then I decided we were done. We are also going to do Christmas morning on our own and then head out to Kansas City the next day. I am actually excited to start our own traditions. You all take care, I love getting to keep up through your blog.
Oh what fun! You are getting the best of both worlds… believe me! ; )
Love you guys… Merry Merry Christmas!