For our Christmas goody boxes and plates (see explanation below), we made these peanut butter star cookies, chocolate crinkles, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, salted nut rolls, chex mix, cereal mix and pretzel chocolate M& M doodads.
Ever since Blogger changed their format for loading photos, none of my pics are ever in the right order. If they'd make it easier to move them around that'd be nice, but for now, you'll all just have to deal with the dysfunction of my photo loading efforts. Above is the photo that'll make Tori drool! It's the table full of cereal mix drying in the open air. Jack, Amy and I made boxes and plates of Christmas cookies and other assorted goodies for neighbors, family, friends and a few shut-ins the Saturday before Christmas. I was up into the wee hours of Saturday morning, then got up and got to cooking again and cooked all day Saturday. We handed out the goodies on Sunday after church and before our program (yes, Amy and I sang!) and cause much delight as we passed them around. We REALLY enjoyed making all the goodies and will definitely do it again next year!
Jack was a great deal of help, as you can obviously tell by the photo above.
If you wear the mitts, you're officially in charge, kid.
This photo doesn't belong here at all. Grammy Tami and Gampa Jerry gave Jackles a doctor kit for Christmas. Amy took it with her to the doctor that Monday for his appointment and it really helped with his fear. The nurse would check him and he'd check her. It works really well for all you parents with doctor-phobic chitlins.
Jack's buddy Owen sent this all-too-fitting shirt to him for Christmas. It says, "It's my way or no way."
And now we're baking cookies again! *%#&ing Blogger.
I don't even remember why he was crying here.
Putting the sugar into the mixing thingy. He had a good time helping out...for about an hour, then moved on to something else.
We had a fantastic time in Des Moines for Christmas. We just got a CD of photos from Aunt Susan, so I'm posting them today. I have a bunch more photos to blog in the next couple days. I also need to do some updates of our top photos for last year too! Above, Jackles gets ready for Santa to come on Christmas Eve. We left him two cookies and a cup of milk. Jack was pretty excited that he ate them.
This one's for you, fat guy.
He didn't quite understand the whole stocking thing. Obvs.
And of all the gift showered upon him this holiday season, this one rated in the tops. A wrapping paper tube from Aunt Susan's house after Amy and Susan did their gift wrapping.
He had fun going through his stocking. I have some cute photos of that too. I'll update with those tomorrow.
We stuck Diego stickers on our cheeks for some messed-up reason. Do I look tired? Or just old? Discuss por favor.
Tickle time!
The cash register was a gift from Santa. He loved it! And Kealey and Taylor and I had fun with it too. They would do something and I'd tax them for whatever it was they did. Simple things like breathing, tattling, talking, walking, etc... Pretty much the same way the government does it.
I heart this photo very much. My peeps.
Granny Janny and a snowman. Go fig. Granny Janny is in the midst of tax season now, so she's a busy gal.
Auntie Em got some makeup stuff. She was not loving the photo taking since she was wearing Granny Janny's sweater "from the 80s". Her words.
Nap time!
And on to presents! Auntie Em got this Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Jackles. He enjoyed it immensely. Thanks, Emberly!
Kealey, Emily and Mike.
Taylor saved the bows from our presents so he could spruce himself up a bit. Seems to have worked for him.
Susan got Jack this Thomas the Tank Engine play tent. It's a hit! He and Taylor played in it that night and he and Peyton have had a great time with it too! Thanks, Aunt Susan! You're the best!
Check it out! It's way awesome!
Whassup, conductah?
Posin' with his gift, pretending he's a flamingo. You know, like the wise men did.
Playing with Mickey.
Taylor and Jack enjoyed preteding to be asleep in the tent. They were quite amusing.
Auntie Em and Granny Janny.
Taylor, Kealey and Emily made this gingerbread house before they came to Grandma's. Then we all took part in destroying it. It was pretty! The jammers Jack has on were from Grandma K. They are wicked awesome. Love 'em. Thanks, Grandma!
Grandma K, Amy and her little nugget.
Grandma K and Jack checking out some reading material.
And back to bed. The sweater he's wearing (and I'm sweating just thinking about the whole 'sleeping in a sweater' thing) is from Auntie Em too. He was quite spoiled in Des Moines. In fact, he had a pile of presents.
Uncle Dan brought down da hiz-ouse, yo! Dan also came to Palisade for a day this week and he and I had a blast.
The two Donners (no relation to the reindeer) and their gingey house. 
