Way Back Whenesday- Christmas 09 AND 07

Back in Virginia from our cookie making trip to NC, Maddox got a Big Bird for Christmas!  This is one of the only good pictures I got of her getting presents from us last year.

We spent Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning in Gboro.  Here Mdx is checking out what Santa left for her.  A shopping cart, puzzles, baby doll, stamps, play food, and more!

The first thing she played with was the play food!

After a breakfast picnic on the floor it was time to sit in the dining room and open presents.

Daddy helped her.

Later in the day we went to Raleigh to see Marshall's family.  Mike and Carla gave Mdx a fun play tent that she immediately wanted to play with.

She also got a fun tool belt and toolbox.

AND- she also got a kitchen!

Now, to take it WAY back...to Christmas 2007!  Marshall had just returned from Korea, and we were celebrating our first family Christmas in our house on 11th St.
It's so funny how Maverick is RIGHT NOW at the same stage Mdx was in this video.  We'll have to take videos of him this Christmas to compare.

Making Christmas cookies

Since we missed the cookie day back home in the States, Maddox and I decided to make some Gingerbread cookies for Marshall to take to work and share with his friends.  I found a great recipe online, but once I looked at how many of the ingredients I was going to have to buy, I decided that a mix might be better.  However- one time I tried to make sugar cookies with a mix and they turned out awful. So, I made sure that it said on the package that they could be rolled out and cut- and it did!  Betty Crocker saved the day once again!  They smelled and tasted delicious too!

Alas, it started with a little pouting because I wouldn't let her stick her fingers in the softened butter.  I'm just no fun.

Smiles quickly returned when the dough was all mixed and we began to roll it out!  Don't worry, the table has a glass top that we floured.

We used some of the cookie cutters that Carla sent us.  Mdx's favorite part was peeling off the part we weren't going to cook and rolling it into a ball.

We should have used the small cookie cutters, because the cookies blew up a lot and became huge!

Next was the icing and decorating.  I think Mdx ate more sprinkles than actually went on cookies.

Posing with the finished product in front of our tree!

They are all gone, we'll have to make more for Santa!