Christmas Cookies With My Nieces

Officially the Christmas season has begun for me...

Every year when my three nieces (Madi-7, Jada-11, & Raylean-12) arrive to spend Christmas with grammie, it's my duty as aunt (T.T.) to make and decorate Christmas cookies with them! This year was no exception.  We make the traditional round sugar cookies and of course cut-out sugar cookies in a not so traditional way (using ready made cookie dough--such a time saver).  The first tube of cookie dough was the easy batch - all round!  The next tube was a little more tricky... getting out the cookie cutters and making sure they were all floured up to keep the dough from sticking (it really does help).  Before they land on the baking sheet and end up in the oven they look like mini trees, bells, stars, angels, wreaths, and hearts!  Now after they've expanded and cooked they look nothing like what they are supposed to!  Why is that?  It's a little disappointing... but as they cool my nieces grow anxious wanting to decorate!

As the cookies cool and the children wait... next comes making the frosting for the cookies!  It's really simple!  All you need is powered sugar, food coloring, and some milk!  We had green, red, yellow, blue, and white frosting for the cookies this year.  Not to mention for the fingers, shirts, pants, and tablecloth!  They also have to pretty-up the cookies with: colorful sprinkles and balls, green crystalized sugar, and mini gingerbread men sprinkles.  We usually have red hots too... but we must have run out (I don't even think they noticed)!   I spent most of the time in the kitchen trying to get it back to a normal state of cleanliness (one of my biggest pet-peeves a messy kitchen)!

This is how they turned out this year:

   

What's next: a possible new tradition...?

We're going to make some chocolate covered pretzel rods!  You may have seen them on Timmery's blog not that long ago!  I'm all about making easy fun foods (if I have to make food that is)! Today will also be a real treat for them... Timmery is coming over to help make gingerbread houses!  I will have pictures as soon as they become available...

Tsk Tsk Laura Bush...

Now just the other day I heard on tv Laura Bush (yes, our current president's wife), a professed Christian, wish the American public, "Happy Holidays"!  

When I heard those words my heart just sank...

This is our - the Christian populace's - time (when the phrase is readily accepted even by non-believers) to thank God for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, who saves us from our sin...

How?

By simply wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays"!  

As I learned last night at The Gathering, when we say "Merry Christmas" we are actually saying "I'm glad that Christ came"!  I AM glad He came...to save us from certain death and to re-establish a relationship with our Heavenly Father that is ONLY available through the Son!  What Christian DOES NOT want to profess their hope that lies in their Savior, Jesus Christ?  

On a semi-tangent, yet relatable note: I've been thinking about what I might say to people who wish "Happy Holidays"...if it's not Merry Christmas, maybe it would be... 

"HAPPY HOLY-DAY"!

Any thoughts? I'd appreciate it if you would drop me a comment.