Here is a play by play of Friday night, Saturday and Sunday...
It started out with my niece and I unwrapping the candies that will be used on the cookies. Usually all my nieces and nephews do this but a few of them went to the Penn State game and one niece did not feel well so it defaulted to me and Maddy!
This is my little sister and niece mixing some dough! The kids love to help so much! I think they like this as much as we all do!
My tw0 adorable nephews pushing the peanut butter cups into the baked dough.
My sister-in-law and myself for a selfie!
Mom counting the completed batches.
My oldest niece keeping the little ones occupied during their break by playing Polly pockets. The little kids love the baking but they have a short attention span and need frequent breaks - LOL!!
Here is the break room - HA!!! The boys watching football no doubt!!!
See them all - lots of testosterone in that room!
Two nieces working on the cutout cookies. We bake these and then let the kids decorate them every year.
Another break - I think this one is the Game of Life break.
Here is my darling niece Jess. She recently graduated and has just started teaching at a school near my sisters house so she moved back home. To her right is her new baby Max...she is a super cute cat mom and is great to her baby!
This is a close up of her baby Max...
Another round of the Game of Life anyone?!?!
My niece Jordan was hilarious this year! Not only did she participate this year with baking, playing with her younger cousins, etc. but everyday she came up with a new outfit for the day! This one was great! She is a cat mom too to a cute little fur ball names Penelope. This sweater actually lit up!!!!!! Awesome!!
This is a cute out that my sister-in-law found on Facebook! Sadly, it is a deer that has been shot. My brother-in-law hunts so it was perfect for him to take up to his deer camp. LOL! I was not in the spirit of love so we only made three - HA!
This is about halfway thorough the baking...
Cute picture of cousins working together to mic batter...
And my littler sister and nephew twisting candy canes...this is a horrible job and we give it to my sister every year - HA!
My niece was counting cookies in this photo-see her way back there with her paper. We add up the numbers we do every year...
My sister makes homemade applesauce and she wanted to defrost some for dinner Saturday night to eat with pizza. She put it outside to defrost. Then it started pouring down raining outside and my Mom put on all her raingear to go out and retrieve it...LOL! I just love this picture...my mother will kill me if she ever sees it on here! LOL!
This is my brother and sister making Santa's out of Nutter Butter's. He is an engineer and she thinks like one so these are the most precise and perfect cookies you will ever see...seriously! They turned out super cute!
Everyone chilling and taking breaks on electronics.
Same here....
This is the finished table!!!! What a productive weekend! We finished on Saturday night around dinner time. We did not set a family record this year as we dropped a few kinds that we have made before but we finished all of our holiday baking. Total cookie count was 2,133 cookies; 173 dozen; 16 varieties!!!
On Sunday the family separates the cookies and everyone heads home. We split them up in zip-locks and everyone takes home a ton of cookies they can then use for cookie trays at parties and gifts! Holiday baking is completed for everyone! Note: everyone in their Steelers gear for the game!!!!
If you live nearby and we are friends; be prepared for your tray of cookies!!!!
I love my family and I love all the time we spend together! Do not be deceived; we get on each others nerves but there is nothing better then family! I think we only about 20 minor spats throughout the weekend which is pretty good for all those people under one roof!!! There is no one that can push my buttons more then my siblings! LOL!!!!
I hope you all had an amazing holiday!!!!
Do you bake for the holidays? Do you have any family traditions you follow every year? Do you enjoy spending the holidays alone or in chaos?