Our (at least my) favorite time of year is upon us! The calendar flipped to the month of December and had in store for us plenty of down time and even some visitors from Minnesota. We started the month with a search for the perfect tree. Never an easy task…

The big debate this year was just how big the tree should be. Having taller ceilings in this house, the limit is not a home dimension problem but rather an aesthetic debate. We settled on a 10 foot tree and set it up in the house. This did not settle the debate as some still wanted more tree while others thought it was far too big. Both sides attempted to pull in outside opinions only to find that guests had similar thoughts. Who would’ve thought there would be no right answer to this truly vexing problem? Maybe we’ll get it sorted before Christmas in ’25.

After the tree was (not) sorted, it was to the kitchen we went. Less contentious. More tasty (or tastier if you fancy). Will’s gingerbread house project became the impetus for a discussion on “vintage” cereal. Turns out they still make Golden Grahams, Golden Grahams make great shingles, and Golden Grahams secretly taste good to adults. Sophia gave our pantry a run for its money and baked too many rounds of cookies to count. At one point, there was a forced pause on all delicious cookie baking until the consumption could keep up. What a problem to have!

When it came time for the big day, we were set for another epic meal with our favorite people: each other. Our three lobsters raced and all lost. The bisque was great. There were no hungry folks left in the house after fondue. Gifts were exchanged and many smiles were had. During the rest of the break, we alternated between relaxing at the house and heading out to stretch our legs on some local outing. We are all excited for 2025 but in no hurry for the good times of 2024 to be over!