We are finally healthy, or at least feeling MUCH better!  The decorations are up (inside), the Nutcrackers are on display (up to 60 this year), the Christmas cards are ready to send out (I know, it’s late) and the holiday baking frenzy is underway!!! 

It’s just NOT Christmas around our house until there are stacks of containers full of goodies.  The standard fair each year is:

• Christmas cut-out cookies (frosted with Sprinkles of course)
• Snowballs (shortbread cookies with a hint of cocunut and rolled in colored sugar)
• Peanut brittle (Thanks grandma)
• Cinnamon pecans (sugar and cinnamon goodness!)
• Chinese fried walnuts (deep fried walnuts with a sugar and salt coating… mmmm)
• Fudge…  Oh, when I say fudge, I mean there are standard batches, some get one batch in dark and one in milk chocolate, and each year there is one experiment…
  • Plain (milk)
  • Walnut (milk and DARK)
  • Peppermint (milk and DARK)
  • Toffee (milk)
  • 2009 Experiment (and my new favorite) Cinnamon red hot fudge with white chocolate drizzled on the top!

Did I mention that the diet starts January?!?  

I am excited to see how Sydney enjoys Christmas this year.  She is two and understands the concept of opening presents.  She doesn’t get Santa or know who he is, but she loves all the lights!  Like I mentioned the Christmas cards are ready to go out (hubby is printing them as I type this post).  Here are some pictures that were in the top running for this year’s card, and some that didn’t quite make it… (By the way, the two year old was the MOST cooperative of the bunch!)

The one that made it as the Christmas card

One of the many shots that didn’t make it…. the reality of family pictures

The boys

The girls

The parents

The kids

The end…