Christmas with the family!

I think I’ve finally caught up on life since returning from Christmas. This year, for the first time since high school, we actually enjoyed the Christmas holidays at my mom’s house. The original plan was to go to Epcot for the holiday, but when I came down with a mystery bug the Thursday night before, I asked my mom to cancel. And seriously couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of high energy. And when I say “kind of” I really mean that I go go go go go until I cannot go any more. And then what do I do? Go. I rarely take any significant time to relax. Now naturally, I come from a family with the same tendency. My mom goes more than anyone I know. Thank goodness for our Jeff (my stepdad) who tends to be a little calmer and slower, or else we’d both spin out of control.

So while recovering from feeling like I was going to die, I actually got to spend some quality time with my family. And for Christmas I cleaned my mom’s house for her – and this includes closets . And spackle (you didn’t think I just sat around, did you?). And 4 trips to our tiny-town version of Goodwill.

This break was also a good break from technology. I know – that sounds blasphemous for someone my age. But being in the land of dial up, I decided to relax and not worry about the rest of the world. I just worried about my family and enjoying the longest amount of time I’ve spent at home in the last 7 years. I also enjoyed chatting with friends old and new, running into people from high school (Hi Hwang family!), and appreciated my tiny little hometown for what it is.

Here are a few pictures from my week. And links to all my favorite sugar cookies recipes. Yes, I’ve tried them all. Yes, they’re all good. TIP: If you’re trying to make shapes, add some extra flour. You won’t regret it.

I spent a good 3-hours decorating with my sister on Christmas Eve. And it was wonderful. I highly recommend you all do it soon. Mostly because it’s just fun to be a kid again for a little while. So go enjoy a day in this newly minted year. Do something fun. Don’t stress. This year will take care of itself. So long as you take care of yourself.

Cookies

Icing

For icing, I use a traditional thin powdered sugar concoction that doesn’t really have a ton of flavor but is perfect for decorating fun! It’s powdered sugar, a small amount of milk and a little vanilla. Add more milk SLOWLY as you don’t want to make it watery. And yes, there will be more sugar than you anticipate. Make extra, have fun with colors, and experiment!