Christmas Come Early

     With Christmas only a few days out our neighborhood has been plagued by Mail men and delivery men. Packages galore and doorbells ringing and angering the dogs who think everyone is an intruder. Now at this point I am thoroughly convinced that the mail carriers are coming into our neighborhood at least twice a day. Once in the morning with packages and later in the evening with mail. The UPS and FED EX people have decided to come much later closer to 8PM, which is a new thing to me. Back in PA if you didn't get your package by 9AM it wasn't coming that day. So our doorbell is a bit worn out along with most other peoples here.
     Today it started at 7:30 in the morning and we have been getting stuff or people asking weird questions ever since. I got two women asking if I was "a man named Allen, and if I spoke any french." I had to disappoint them on both counts I would have thought my apparent bustyness in a tank top would have taken care of the first question but no such luck. Sorry ladies I am not your mysterious man Allen with the gift of French. I also got a package this morning from my Aunt filled with lovely presents and put them up under the my tree. Last night we got a few packages around 9pm which was strange but yay stuff... One of them was only labeled with my name and a target bulls eye which was even more strange since I have not been in a target in months or ordered anything. Since it had no other names I decided to open it to see what was happening. Lo and behold one of the nicest ladies I know sent me presents but never told me they were coming other wise I would not have opened it up. Inside I found the most magical toaster I think I have ever seen. Not only does it do just about everything including defrost frozen stuff and then toast it but IT LOOKS LIKE A KALEIDOSCOPE! I had talked to her about one day when I have my own kitchen wanting it to be a rainbow... this toaster might as well be the center piece! She also threw in a knife block with a rainbow of colored knives, not only are the handles colored but the blades as well. Needless to say I was/am beyond excited. I also got a package from Germany (my cousin is still stationed there) so I got a mug from one of the Christmas markets and some stuff I have been missing. My dad also got me some Christmas ornaments that can be painted from the inside to tinker with. So that's exciting! So my Christmas tree is looking more festive by the day!
     In other news I took the cookies into my dads shop and before I was even near the building a man ran up to me and asked if I was the baker. I said yes and he just stared at me and started telling me how good stuff was. (he was not one of the ones that was about to get a container of his own but I had heard of him so I packed an extra bag just in case I ran into him) I asked if he wanted cookies and he was like YESSS he took them thanked me and RAN AWAY yelling I GOT COOKIES JIM I GOT THE COOKIES, and disappeared. Whatever makes him happy. A good deal of the people were out so I left them on their desks or with my dad to deliver later. The engine shop was at the other base but someone actually delivered the cookies to them since they were having a rough day. It seemed to bring out some Christmas spirit in a bunch of them. It had been a rough few days with a flamed out engine and lots of running between the two bases. Some of the guys couldn't stop eating it seemed it was just oh this is good no this omg this too! It was worth going in and getting to spread cheer and meet them. I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful Christmas filled with cookies and family!

Tree looking festive :)

It always looks less festive at with the lights on but oh well.

EARLY PRESENTS LOOK AT THE COLORFUL KITCHEN SHENANIGANS! SO PUMPED!

Tis The Season: for COOKIES

     Well Christmas in the desert is bizarrely more festive than my home town in PA was. Then again we had snow half the time and nice cold weather. Here in place of cold weather the neighborhood seems to have erupted in a strange Christmas light battle. I would call it a battle royal but it is not that intense at least not that I have seen. Either way the lights are nice. I have always loved Christmas not only because I love presents.. (be honest who doesn't if you say you don't you are most likely lying... a lot) but because I love to give presents and see peoples faces. Since I have been sending baked goods in with my dad to his work he has met some nice people over the tin of whatever I sent (not sure if there is the proverbial water cooler) So I wanted to do something nice for them. Some of them don't have family near and either have to endure long travel lines, wait for family to come in to see them, or be on their own. I have done the traveling to see family and it takes a toll, it is worth it but not everyone can drop what they are doing to do so.

     I got some cheap cookie tins that had a Christmasy designs and figured I would send in some Christmas cookies not only for some specific people who have been nice but also to some of the shops my dad works in as well.

     These were the tins that I got. After a while of staring at them since I got them about a month ago I decided they were not nearly fun or festive enough. This started the long and insane process of making a drawing for the top of each tin of a scene including either the name of the person or shop it was going to. Also a cartoon that was sent to me by a friend thanking the military for keeping us safe with santa waving to an A-10 (my fathers plane). That would go on the inside of the lid. 

    These were the finished drawings and the cartoon on the inside of the lid finally they seemed festive enough and it was time to make some cookies. When I say some I should say about 20 batches of different cookies and a candy covered chocolate bark, and some home made peppermint patties. Needless to say the kitchen was in shambles. Each of these people will be getting at least 30 ish cookies and then some bark mints and some normal peppermints as added festiveness.

 Here is the finished product all the cookies are pretty hidden though but there are: Chocolate chip, Andes Mint Chip, Sugar Cookies, and a form of Extruder cookie.

The Grinch and Cindy-Loo-Hoo and oodles of presents!

Hermie the misfit elf and Yukon Cornelius.

The mail man from "a year without a santa claus" I was told the man who is getting this one looks like the mail man so I filled the mail truck with tools instead and the name of truck he drives.

The heat and snow miser fighting.

Charlie brown and his cute little tree.

And finally a special edition for the engine shop... it is a warthog with A-10 engines pulling the sleigh with presents and reindeer sitting in the back. With my dads head on it ... since he is the one who helps them when they have no idea what is going on. His old shop used to put his face on everything so I felt the tradition needed to continue.

After all this madness and crazy work I decided they just did not quite look like gifts because I am insane.. but we had no bows so I had to make some.

One of them is missing but You get the point crazy yarn bows! So now they are ready to take in either tomorrow or the next day for some early Christmas cheer in case any do decide to travel the week of Christmas they still get cookies! at this point I am just kind of hoping they don't toss out the drawings since they took so long lol. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

     In other news when my mom came back from her trip back to PA she had a bunch of stuff with her for me lots of yarn, an owl ornament, a beautiful hat (which I will take a picture of later) and a few other odds and ends. So Thank you to my Aunt for the yarn and the hat which I LOVE and to Miss. Ange who sent the owl who is currently staring at me... O_O I love him.