No Irises Blooming now. Anyone else decorating for Christmas

Little girls putting the last bit of cookie dough in the pre-molded cookie sheets. This little girl is so precious and not a bashful bone in her body. I'll post one in a minute with her and two other girls getting ready to put their cookies in the oven. Be sure and look at the little one's hand she has cookie dough in it and is eatting it. LOL IT's little things like these that I love to see the children doing and having a good time. You would not believe how many times the kids were made to go wash their hands cause they would lick their fingers or something. LOL

Yelp, here she is sneaking a bite of cookie dough. I think this picture is priceless cause their all so proud of the cookies they are making to share with others. Like at the smiles on their little faces. Hopefully these will be memories that will last a life time.

rolling peanut butter balls

even the smallest hands can make some wonderful peanut butter balls. The next picture will have several of them making them but you have to look close in their hands to see what they are showing off. LOL

gooey hands showing off their P.B. balls.

Cornflakes and Marshmellow cream Christmas Wreaths with the kids adding the red hots for the holly berries.

RiceKrispy Treats being wrapped before placed in Christmas bags to share with everyone.

wrapping and bagging up some of the goodies.

Just a couple of platters of cookies we made. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many cookies we made but it was way up in the hundreds. Now you can probably understand why I don't care if I ever see another cookie. Well at least till Christmas day. LOL

Ok, that's enough Cookies to last a life time. I'm through with that, now I'm working on making a ton of fantasy fudge. I think I have about 10 more double batches to go and then I'm through with that. Did I tell ya'll my house is a WRECK with Christmas junk and baking stuff EVERYWHERE there was an empty spot. I just pray to God that I get everything done and everything back in it's place before company gets here. If not, maybe they can all help me put things up. LOL
Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas- Bah Hum Bug, I'm already worn out and just getting started good.
Much Love from my home to each of ya'lls.
Marian

How wonderful, I'm sure the children will remember their cookie baking day for many Christmases to come.

LOL Mittsy about remembering the cookie making day. I've already heard that the church has never done anything like that with the little kids. Everyone talked about what a wonderful tradition it would be to do every year. I agreed it would be wonderful provided we have more adults to help the children with their baking experiences. I also had them make the little reindeer out of candy canes, googly eyes, pipecleaner horns, and a red little puff ball for the nose. They also sang Chrismas Songs with a Karokee Machine. They had a blast but it wore me and a couple of other grandmothers to a frazzel. Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year if we're going to do it every year.
Marian

I hope the church helped buy those Betty Crocker packets of cookies, LOL. I just bought some oatmeal ones tonight, and they were expensive, and gooooood. I put some raisins soaked in rum in them. That might have calmed the kidlets a little.

Polly I usually can get them on sale for $1.50 or less on sale and I buy a few and they keep very well in the pantry. This all looks like such fun for everyone. Some friends and I used to get together and 2 evenings we made hundreds of cookies of different sorts and then divided them up among ourselves. we had a toddy or 2 and a lot of laughs. I miss those times but so glad I have the memories.

Polly those packest were not the only cookies we made, we made some from scratch too. I just figured that would be alot easier for the little kids that had never made cookies or anything. The pecans and walnuts cost alot more than those Betty Crocker premixed cookie packages and no, the church didn't pay for anything. I bought it all out of my own pocket that is now empty. That was the extent of our giving back to the church and the community, other than some fantasy fudge I'll be making for the next couple of days.

I just got an email asking me to call them 1st thing in the morning to help set with someone over the Christmas Holidays. So I'll probably be away from the computer for a couple of days. Several other ladies that set with the elderly know that I don't mind working the holidays so they can spend time with their extended families. They all know that we never celebrate on the actual holidays. We're always a few day earlier or later and it works out really well for everyone.
I need the work anyway and then I have a part time sitting job after Christmas and it will probably turn into a full time job unless they decide to put the lady in a nursing home later on. The lady has dementia and the husband is not dealing with it too well. So I'll just have to wait and see how things go and then I can help him make whatever decession will be best for all those concerned.

Love Ya'll
Marian

Enjoy this video of The Christmas Story! Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWq60oyrHVQ

What a wonderful thread! Love everyone's holiday pictures.

Church nativity

Now I'm just wondering if we should share some bah humbug photos of us taking all the Christmas decorations down. This is another one of those jobs I dread doing, it's kind of like pulling the weeds out of the flowerbeds once you have already enjoyed all the blooms for the season.

When I decorate, this year I did not, I talk and caress the majority of my decorations before I put them away. Today, I went in the Christmas storage room and told them all they would be out next year. Later Sharon.

That's too cute Sharon! I can just invision you telling them they will get to see daylight and be displayed once again to make the next seasons Christmas as joyful as the previous ones. Now I guess I'll have to hug all my Santa's and Angels and tell them I'll see again next year. To To cute!
Love Ya, Marian