Christmastime brings out a ton of emotions and desires in me. One of those is the nostalgia of baking all kinds of yummy-ness. My mom makes such great baked creations and I have some wonderful memories of baking christmassy treats and sharing them with others when we were growing up.
I wanted to share 2 of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes with you.
*Gingersnaps - from the “Joy of Cooking” cookbook. (I like this recipe because these “spice-y” cookies are so soft and chewy when they come out).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cream together: ¾ cup butter and 2 cups sugar
Stir in: 2 well-beaten eggs, ½ cup molasses, 2 tsp. vinegar
Sift and add: 3 ¾ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp. baking soda, 2-3 tsp. ginger, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. cloves (or nutmeg)
Mix ingredients until blended. Form dough into ¾ – inch balls and bake on greased cookie sheets. Bake about 12 minutes or until the cookies develop the characteristic crinkled top. You can melt ½ marshmallows on top in the last 4 minutes of baking, or cool and ice with frosting. OR, you can just eat them plain, which is how we like them best.
*Sugar Cookies – this recipe has been in the family since the year my Grandma got married. I have yet to find a sugar cookie recipe I like as much.
Cream together: 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar
Add: 2 eggs, 1 tbsp. milk, 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Sift in: 2 1/2 cups four, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Chill dough in fridge at least 2 hours (I always make it at night and shill it overnight).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough onto slightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. Cut out into cute shapes and place on ungreased cookie cheets. Bake about 8 minutes. Remove from tray immediately to cool on rack. Frost with your favorite icing – I suggest a buttercream icing as it makes the cookies so soft the longer is sits on them… YUM! Sprinkles make for added fun. 
Along with these two favorites, I have ton more two favorite categories in my life right now. So, lest you think that everything in my life comes in threes these days – like little girls, carseats, matching clothes, etc. – here are some of my favorites in twos:
My 2 favorite big sisters in the whole world:
who are also my 2 favorite cookie bakers:
My 2 favorite little mini-mamas:
And my 2 favorite forward-facing sleeping beauties in the car:
These are my 2 favorite “Sound of Music” fanatics who ran over to the ipod when the soundtrack came on, hoping to see Maria and the children.
Check out these, my 2 favorite sets of piggytails:
I had my 2 favorite elves decorating my tree this year:
Oh, and there are these 2 favorite recent family photos:
I know they’re not perfect, but I’ve become less picky with every new face we’ve added
And here’s my 2 favorite recent Glo photos:
Well, maybe I have 3 favorites …
this was Gloria's birthday gift, made so lovingly by Grammy. Isn't it beautiful?!?!
… or 4 …
Ah, nevermind. So much for a themed post…
Now go try one of my favorite cookie recipes!
It’s crazy to think this little girl has been here for 3 weeks and 2 days! She has grown so much and changed in her little life already, and so have the rest of us. We have loved every moment – well, most of them – and it’s already hard to remember what life was like before she was part of us in this way (out of my belly). 
Gloria still loves to sleep! She sleeps about 18-20 hours a day still. It’s hard for me to remember if her older sisters slept this much, it’s crazy! And I am very thankful that in just the last few days she has responded pretty well to falling asleep in her bed, as opposed to my arms. I think with every kid I start this process a little earlier, and it is going great. I am not strong enough to let her “cry it out”, but I am doing better about giving her a chance to fall asleep on her own at every nap and bedtime. But I still just savor the sweetness of sleeping babe on my chest and indulge that treat every once in a while too. That being said, here are some photos of her sleeping everywhere BUT her bed.
in the sling,
in her carseat,
on Aunt Martha.
Gloria is eating great! Still at 3 hour intervals during the daytime, and 3-5 hour intervals at night (I think. I’m not very coherent during those times so I’m not really sure). At her two week check-up last week she weighed in at 9 pounds! Today when I weighed her with me, she was around 10. She is definitely packing the pounds, but thankfully doesn’t take a long time to eat. I don’t think her sisters would be too happy if she did. I love this photos of her and my mom cause you can see her skinny little leg sticking out. 
I feel like you can see her weight gain the most in her chubby cheeks: 
She continues to be adored by her big sisters. Martha has adjusted to big-sisterhood much like Noa did with her: I don’t think she even recalls when Gloria wasn’t here and has just taken it all in stride. She often pauses from her play in order to come put her face real close to Glo’s and say (in her high imitating-mommy-talking-to-the-baby voice), “Hiiiiiiiiii”. She loves to give her kisses and hold her hands and feet and rock her in her carseat, bassinet, or bouncy seat. Today, she asked to hold her for the first time and lasted about 5 seconds, but did wonderfully. I am so thankful for how well she is adjusting. 
Noa, our baby-lover, has done great as well, but surprised us a few times. She loves all things pertaining to Gloria and her care and really is so sweet to her. However, every once in a while we have seen some signs of hostility and she has asked twice if Gloria could go back into my belly. Also, after about 3 weeks of being completely accident-free and officially potty-trained, she has had several accidents since the novelty of the new baby and my mom being here wore off. We have struggled to know how to help and love her through this, and are pretty sure it’s all just part of her adjustment and very normal. And these little discouragement really are very small compared to the constant joy she brings to our home, along with incredible entertainment in what she does and says regularly. I am so thankful for the sweet little girl that she is and so thankful for the example and help she is with her little sisters.
*funny story: Noa dressed herself to be a cowgirl yesterday, complete with the horsey shirt and boots. As Eric was loading them into the car for me, She ran out to the garage and yelled “Here comes the cowboy!” One of many comments that makes us look at each other and ask, “whose kid is this?!?”
So now you know how our Glo-girl is growing and a little bit of how our family is growing with her, and in love with her. We are so blessed and thankful for her life, and for how the Lord has made this transition so smooth and sweet.
And here’s one more photo, epitomizing what I get when I try to get a picture of our children together. Noa can’t stop looking at Gloria to try to get her to smile; Martha can’t stop moving, and Gloria throws her hands up in exasperation of it all (and spits up on the carpet instead of the burp cloth. great.).
Well, I haven’t done an update post on the girls in a while, and this probably won’t be one either. But I have some sweet photos of these two together recently that just capture the fun that they enjoy as constant companions and playmates.
Guarding the door? Hiding something? Who knows! They are partners in crime to be sure, though.
This is how they wait patiently for their toothbrushes twice a day. It's too scary for me to let them walk around, or even stand with them.
Dr. Martha checking up on the "baby" in Noa's belly. Noa obviously takes this very seriously.
"Everything looks good! Come back in two weeks."
Helping me get some "work" done. These girls are constant helpers. One day soon, I think they will actually help save me time and energy!
Snuggling in Noa's bed together.
In their "house" that we make under the dining room table.
"Going to America on an airplane" which is sometimes the laundry room, and sometimes Daddy's office, depending on the day. They love to travel!
Discovering our new home, with all it’s little spaces, is Oh so much fun!
Continue reading about Where, oh where have my little girls gone?
