Let's stick a fork in it

So we can finally call the holiday season done, here's a few off-the-slopes snaps of significant holiday going-ons for us.

We had already had a tree at home and were more or less over the whole business, but the person's whose house we were staying in went back home to retrieve his son and have a turn at custodial parent the day after Christmas. What better way to welcome him than with a stolen tree!

There were so many that it was hard to choose.

This one looked good, but we figured why stop at a single tree

when were able to fit three in the truck? We stopped by the grocery store on the way back to the house, and I hoped that people thought we were going to the recycling center instead of from. They were probably impressed by how much money they thought we spent on trees. God, we crack ourselves up.

Later, in a spasm of irrationality, I decided Christmas cookies would be a good idea. They rolled, cut, and baked one day and frosted another, thereby spreading the mess over two days instead of one. I know: brilliant.

And you know what happens to sugar cookie dough when you roll it out, cut something, change your mind, wad it up, and do it all again? And again? Right. But they looked pretty.

I did have some peace and quiet in the kitchen though when my peeps went outside to build an igloo. It ended up looking more like a snow beehive, but it was completely functional. It will be fun to see how long it lasts throughout the season.

Finally, look what was waiting for me in the mail when I arrived home! What do you think it is? Go ahead and guess! It's about twelve inches long, so it's too small to use as a witch's broom, although I can imagine why you might think that an appropriate gift. 

And so ends what my girlfriend calls the Holiday Death March, kicking off with Halloween and collapsing in a heap on New Year's. We're thankful to have survived it and grateful for peace in the months ahead.