C*K*J: {cookies and frosting and sprinkles} OH MY!

Another one of my favorite holiday traditions that I now get to share with my littlemiss...

My grandma Leah actually started this party when we were young. She would have all the grandkids over for her annual CookieBakeSlumberParty. It was a chance for our parents to take advantage of free babysitting and one of the parties that we all looked forward to throughout the year.

My amazing mom started doing the same thing once she started having her own grandchildren and it just keeps getting better and better. This continues to be one of the most looked forward to nights of the holiday season. As most of the grandkids got older, parents gradually started showing up, hoping for cookies and a good time. Now it usually turns into a huge party with loads of people and gads of messes.

This year, my Mom had knee surgery to repair a torn miniscus just a week before the scheduled party. There was no way that she would be up to pulling it off and yet, we couldn't bear the thought of not having this annual party, so my sisters and I, along with a few of my nieces and sister-in-law stepped up to help make it happen.

holy.crap.it's.a.lot.of.work.

I can't believe that any sane person would go to that much work.

We're talking 400+ sugar cookies, people. That's 10 {ten} batches! Not to mention 5 big batches of frosting and oodles and oodles of sprinkles.

I was once again reminded that me and the littlemiss have both been blessed with amazing grandmas!!

It turned into such a fun day, cooking, laughing, prepping and hanging out as we finished all the final touches. (luckily the masseuse was there to ease our tired bodies)

We wanted my mom to be able to boss us around while having plenty of time to snugge the rookie-cookie-party-attendees. I think she kinda liked that job this year!

She and Leah even got a pretty good nap in!

SO.MUCH.FUN.

Leah wasn't sure what to think of all the fuss! She seemed to think that her own hand was just as tasty as any cookie version could possibly be!

She may not have been impressed with the cookies, but she LOVED her time with Lydia. It was so fun to have these two girls together all day. They are only 12 days apart and so cute together, especially now as they are both getting more social.

In fact, there is a whole new crop of little ones! Most of these are kiddos of my nieces and nephew, but I am so glad that she will have little cousins to play with even though I don't understand the geneology lingo of it all (once removed, twice shy?!? Who really cares?)

Trey had been the youngest of the original cousin generation until Leah came along. (He's soooo cute with her!)

And here she is with Tyler, the oldest cousin, who ironically has 2 little girls of his own now. I was just 7 years old when he was born, so we've always been close. Most of my nieces and nephews felt like the little brothers and sisters that I never had... except I didn't have to share my toys with them and it didn't matter when they got on my nerves, because they were bound to be going home soon! :)

I think I love them all as adults (more or less) than ever before!!