Playing catch up!

I'm trying to catch up with all of the photos that I've been wanting to post. It seems as if the month of December really got away from me! There were only 3 weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and FH and I were both sick during those 3 weeks. Actually, FH was sick twice. So I'm late in doing lots of the things that I wanted to do! Eeks!
Anyway, here are some pictures from right before Christmas. I did A LOT of baking this year!! We gave cookies as gifts for a whole bunch of people, so there was TONS of time spent in the kitchen. (My favorite place...not.) Truth be told, I actually like to bake. But cooking meals is a different story all together. I only cook because they'll throw me in the clink if I don't feed my kids! So here you go.

As another blogger puts it (I have no idea who she is...just someone's blog that Dodi found), here is my "cast of characters."

This is what I started out with.

FH and I had a ton of fun in the kitchen!

Look at those beauties! And they are soooooooo yummy!

The kids and I had a great time using my mom's old cookie press. I even have her original recipe card!

Here we are actually using the press. It makes those cute little cookies that are shaped like Christmas trees! Love those things!

Zoe using the press.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much fun the kids had with all of the sprinkles and other decorations!

FH is very much a "more is more" kind of kid!

Look at his sprinkles! I laughed and laughed!!!

And this is what you get when you decorate as such!

This is what we ended up with when it was all said and done.

It took 16 hours over the course of 2 days, but the kids and I...mostly me, really...made 61 dozen cookies to give away. Well, we gave most of them away. But what's Christmas without homemade chocolate chip cookies?!
Hope the holidays were good to you, and wishing you all that your heart desires in 2009!