It may seem quiet in my corner of the web lately, but that’s because life has been anything but!

There are so many wonderful activities happening this time of year! The world waits to celebrate when God came down to us as a little baby. The love of God translates to love for family & friends. It really does feel like the most wonderful time of the year – even down here in warm, sunny Florida!

A few weekends ago my friend Beth & I got together with our Kitchenaid mixers & made a bunch of cookies.

Red & green! How perfect!

Cow apron!

We were baking cookies to enter in the IKEA cookie contest. We didn’t place, but we should have! We totally made some amazing cookies.

Beth taking the entry photo of our thumbprint cookies.

Some of our contest entries:

Thumbprint cookies with lingonberry jam.

We called this one “Grandma ran over the reindeer”

We had a lot of fun! We also made peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, & gingerbread cookies just because!

We decorated gingerbread couples, too!

I think I captured us pretty well!

What a great day! I love baking, I love spending time with friends, I love beef (which we ate) & hot cocoa (which we drank).

A few days later I got the idea to make some gingerbread cookies on my own to give away at work.

Beth lent me her airplane cookie cutter. How cute! I work in aviation, so these were the perfect Christmas gift to everyone at the office.

Can I just say again how much I love this time of  year? A time for warm hearts & warm cocoa. A time to turn on the lights & the oven.  A time to give gifts & give hugs.

A time to love God & love each other ❤