Sugar plums and figgy pudding

I wouldn't have the first clue how to make sugar plums or figgy pudding. So...

For Christmas dessert, I made myself a pumpkin pie. Mmmm!

It was only by sheer will that I didn't eat the whole thing. At least not yet.

Hams

My nephews have had lots of experience posing for Sarah's camera. They're such little hams!

Family Christmas

Our family Christmas was held at my brother's house on Sunday. It also happened to be his birthday.

Their basement is now finished. It's really bright and cheerful down there. And the floor made a great surface for the boys' new Matchbox cars.

Linc got a drum set.

Nash got Legos.

Very young children often find the cardboard box more entertaining than the toy it held. My nephews are well past that age now. So this contraption is both a cardboard box and a toy. (It's technically Linc's house, but I think the boys will have a lot of fun in it together.)

There's always one who ruins the picture... Hey, birthday boy! Straighten up back there!

That's better.

Merry Christmas!

*****

Packers 13-1. Sniffle.

Cookies!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is decorating cookies with my mother.

This year, we did one batch of white and one batch of gingerbread. That's a lot of cookies! Each cookie is unique. (Okay, so after nearly three decades of decorating cookies together, we get a few duplicates. So what?)

The cookies have to dry, sometimes overnight, before they can be stacked in containers.

Naturally, there are a few that turn out (unexpectedly) great. Which is your favorite?
(Unlike most years, Ma and I both agreed that the Santa was the gold medalist.)

Did I mention we also made chocolate chip cookies and spritz?

Bon apetit!