Holiday Traditions

So, when I married Mike, I became privy to an incredibly delicious recipe for holiday sugar cookies. For Mike, the holidays don't officially start until he's had his first batch of these puppies. Around Halloween, he starts talking about his mouth watering in anticipation for these cookies...but I'm not allowed to make them until it's almost or right after Thanksgiving because they are a treat that is to be enjoyed for a very select period of holiday time, otherwise they lose their specialness. Last year, as I baked the cookies (a lot slower, mind you, I was 8 months pregnant, after all), I thought of how much fun the years to come were going to be when I'd be able to share this tradition with our new baby and with any future babies God blesses us with.

Last week, Mike worked like a DOG trying to get his biggest paper of the semester out of the way. The poor guy had no free time. He'd get home from class and burry himself in books. He'd get home from work, and spend hours on the computer typing away and running ideas. He took breaks only to eat and to play with Logan and occasionally to sleep. After a couple of days of this, Logan and I decided it was time to give something back. What a perfect thing to come home to right before crunch time to finish his paper than a batch of these savory holiday cookies, right?

To start things out right, we had to make some aprons. What's a holiday cookie fest without matching mommy/daughter aprons? (p.s. have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE my embroidery and sewing machine? I mean come on, the projects are literally endless)

Mine is cute, but I absolutely cannot get over how adorable the little one is--thanks for the fabric mom!

After our first project we got started. I worked on the batter while Logan tinkered around the kitchen and posed for the camera.
As time progressed, tinkering was just not enough for her, so she got into some flour and also began to tear apart the contents of my wallet, which you can CLEARLY see behind her in this next picture:
Oh, well, if it keeps her entertained and out of danger, one can't complain, right? She also really loved the rolling pin. I set it down next to her little flour covered body and she went to town. Maybe next year I won't have to stage baking pictures and she'll actually be able to help a little.
It was SUCH a great surprise for Mike! He walked in and his eyes immediately lit up and it was like he was 5 years old all over again. It's officially the Christmas Season in our household (in fact, we're headed out today to pick up our tree) and we are so excited! Christmas is going to be such a joy this year with a little one around. I'm a Christmas nut, but I don't think I've ever been this excited for one to roll around and I'm not even excited for myself, I'm excited for her. What a blessing!

(We did manage to get one snapshot together after daddy got home, I couldn't find a place to get the automatic picture taken without cutting parts of us off so we waited)