They call themselves the Iowa Cookie Crumbs, and what they've done is nothing short of incredible.

The group, from a church in Council Bluffs, meets each month to bake cookies. A LOT of cookies. Tuesday, they sent more than 13,000 cookies, bringing their running total to more than one million. That's reason to celebrate and is exactly what they did.

So how did this all begin? It was the mastermind of one woman in the early 1990's. Her name is Jeanette Cram, or The Cookie Lady as she's known, from Hilton Head, South Carolina. According to the Treat the Troops website, Jeanette started making cookies in 1990 during the Gulf War. When Jeanette heard then-President George Bush read a letter from a soldier asking his mom to send lots of cookies and letters, Jeanette's idea was born. It was time to start baking.

In 2007, Abbie Crawford and her group in Council Bluffs joined the cause when she formed the Iowa Cookie Crumbs.

In the nearly 10 years since, they've now sent 1,002,181 cookies overseas. Let me put that number in perspective. The Iowa Cookie Crumbs have averaged sending more than 100,200 cookies per year in the last 10 years, or 8,350+ per month. WOW.

Just how appreciative are our service members? Very. These thank you's both came from Afghanistan.

In total, nearly FIVE MILLION cookies have been sent to U.S. military service members thanks to this wonderful cause Jeanette Cram started and groups in 36 states have been part of at one time or another over the years. Check the list of cookie makers and you'll quickly see no one else has made even close to the number of cookies that the group from western Iowa has.

American service personnel around the world can request cookies HERE. Jeanette, Abbie, and her incredible group of bakers from Council Bluffs will keep producing the cookies and spreading love around the world through treats from home.

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