In this Kitchen

In this Kitchen. . .

which is my Aunt Johanna's kitchen. . . she had all of us over for our first annual "Cookie Cooking". Honestly, any words I could try and muster up to describe the day wouldn't be able to express the joy in my heart. This day was filled with just an incredible amount of love and God's faithfulness.

We do sprinkles. . .

We do sharing . . .

even if that does mean the pin off your rolling pin breaks. . . poor Nanna . . .

I think maybe she and JS rolled the pecans too hard. . . Hee!Hee!

Ash took charge of these sweet girls. She had them mixing and measuring and pouring. She was just reading that recipe like she would a good book. I'm so proud of the little Mama in my sweet girl.

And this sweet lady here always brightens a room with joy when she's around. She is always such a delight and I just love her so much!




Nanna knows how much Hanna loves to be in the kitchen. I think Hanna loves the kitchen so much because she loves her Nanna so much. Therefore, she loves all things Nanna loves. .. which means cooking. That's really good for the rest of us, because Nanna just happens to be my very favorite cook and I could just eat myself silly with her good fixins'.

And these girls are just the best of friends. They share cookies and clothes. We are just so very thankful that now Melissa and her family live close enough to be apart of everyday living!

YUMMY

to my


TUMMY

We do double batches . . .

And some of us (which shall remain nameless. . . but she might just be a mama and she might just wear high heels and she might just put the priss in pot). . . however, I'm not naming any names. Some of us. . . may just have to be be humbled. . . After all, before these cookies came out of the oven she was just telling her beautiful, younger, "domestic diva" cousin. . . in her very BEST "Steel Magnolia" voice that "all Soouuutterrrrnnnn (that's Southern for all you non-southerners out there) women must know how to cook cookies". The beautiful, younger, "domestic diva" cousin had a cookie mix, not from scratch. The one who shall remain nameless. . . her cookies were falling apart because she didn't use a muffin tin like her "made from scratch" recipe stated. Pride cometh before the downfall!!!!!!

We do real butter . . . .

Oh yeah baby!!!!!!!!!!

We do flour fights . . .

Well, it all started with these 2 . . . the oldest and thhuuuu baby. See the oldest was helping the baby by mixing her cookie batter. Then the oldest spoke up and said, "You know that plate over there says 'we do flour fights'. Enough said for thuuu babbbyy. She stuck her hand into the bowl and smeared flour over the oldest child's face. W-H-A-T???? Baby, that is all she wrote. . . that is when is all started to break loose. . .

Nanna about had a fit because she said the flour was making her itch!

If you're going to fight . . . fight HARD!

These 3 got doused BIG TIME!!! We all know when you have flour ALL over your face you MUST lick the cookie batter! Otherwise you feel incomplete!

Look at thuuu baabbyy. . .

Now, this one. . . the middle one. . . the one who has a chant with her Aunt Melissa and now her cousin, Caitlyn (who just both happen to be middle children as well). . . she's up to something!!!! What could she possibly be thinking up in that head of hers?

You guessed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That child was ELATED with JOY!!!!!!!!!!! (my picture is blurry because she was jumping up and down)

Next, it was time to wait on Caitlyn. Noelle and Hanna watched intently out the window for her to drive up.

Next, everyone got armed with their ammo (flour in this case)

READY?

AIM!!

FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you will notice in this picture the ones who are doing "The Chelsey". We stick our necks out and brighten our eyes. Most of us are just amateurs (as you can clearly see). We will be perfecting it though -hee!hee!

Oh yeah. . . in this family we are nondiscrimatory. . . which means. . . doesn't matter your age.. . . You WILL get doused with flour!

We do holidays . . .

We do love . . . (this one is my very favorite)

246. For Melissa and her homemade vegetable soup and her making me laugh ALL the time.

247. For Johanna and her getting this wonderful day together, her thoughtfulness and her heart of LOVE and mercy. For her opening up her heart and her home and making us ALL feel so incredibly loved and special.

248. For Mama and her heart of service and because there is just no one in the world like your Mama.

249. For Kristen and her fun-loving self.

250. For Caitlyn because she is the very definition of sweet.

251. For Chelsey because she is the most beautiful and BEST 'domestic diva' I've ever encountered. For her graciousness when 'the one who shall remain nameless' had to swallow up her pride when it comes to be a sooouuutthherrrn woman.

252. For Lynn because she is just a pure joy and delight.

253. For Steven because he's a hoot and makes you and your girls feel like a million bucks!

254. For days with family that although it's been SUCH a long time since you last saw one another, you feel as if no time has lapsed at all. . . as if this is something you do all the time.

255. For the next time we all get together, hoping it will be SOON!!!