Christmas

I've got one post to take us from early December all the way through Christmas Day, so be prepared for the time warp that's headed.  We'll go from Christmas even (above) all the way back to early December when we started our annual Christmas cookie making!

This year's cookies were mostly the same that we always make with two changes:

1. More GF cookies wherever possible - its easier to just make the cookies GF if there is no difference and this year I think we made a total of 3 kinds GF - sugar, pepperkockers with edits that weren't the GF's fault and PB blossoms.
2. Linzer cookies!  These will come back next year - this year was a test year and its for sure a new favorite and worth the effort.  We made a double batch this year (non-GF) and they were exactly the hit I needed them to be.  I'm considering making them again for Valentines Day, but we'll see.  I "need" zero cookies but I "want" 1000000 cookies!

(2025 cocktail of the year - Pistachio Sour - more work than you'd like, but totally worth it in all respects! This is the new cocktail of 2026 - the one I'll be making for my favorite guests when they come over.  It's a labor of love but sometimes that's exactly what the doctor ordered.)

Family "Christmas Eve" party in Freeport featuring one of my favs - Rhonda!!

Ritterbusch Christmas - one of the best weekends of the year if you ask the kiddos!  They love spending time with their cousins and add in presents and it's a hard to top weekend!

Santa visited Kishwaukee Brewing the weekend before Christmas and we "happened" to be there too (to pick up a keg for the holiday weekend).  We said hello, logged our present requests, grabbed a photo and let him move on his way!  It's was about to be the busiest day of the year - he needed his sleep!

X-mas even "girls" hike with just me and the kiddos and the dogs - so, I suppose it's girls + one boy (Copper).  I needed some sunshine and outdoor enrichment and the girls suggested a walk at Marengo Ridge with the dogs.  It was a little muddier than we were prepared for, but I'm glad we did it.  Making memories, one hike at a time!

(The bag Hazel made for our Christmas present this year - adorable!).

Christmas this year was exactly what I wanted - low key and full of family and friends.  I love this time of year and while the year is winding down I'm already looking forward to this time of year next year.  Bring it on 2026!