A Post-Holiday Celebration

I love to still have holiday get-togethers even after the fact; it makes it seem like we're stretching the holiday season out, and really, who wouldn't want to do that? On Saturday, we drove down to Chicago for dinner and a gift exchange with my aunt Christine, uncle Mike and cousins Katrina, Matthew and Karissa. The drive was a little treacherous (there was a bunch of freezing rain) but it was fun to see them all! I always like seeing how other people decorate their houses for the holidays, and theirs looked beautiful (of course!).

Then last night, we had Tracy, Dan and the girls over to dinner for a gift exchange. It was so much fun! I love doing simple things like just getting together, talking and spending time together. Kirsti and Rori spent a bunch of time on the Wii; Rori is seriously the master bowler. Holy cow! I always get beaten by a 5 (soon to be 6) year old, and Kirsti suffered the same fate. It's crazy :)

For dinner, Dan made this delicious chicken piccatta; it was his first time making it, so he was a little nervous, but it turned out great. We also had butternut squash soup, french bread and veggies. Dessert was some of the cookies my mom sent us (thanks, mom!) and See's candy. Rori said my mom's cookies were "the best cookies ever in the whole wide whole world" (yes, the word "whole" was used twice). Wow!

It was really a wonderful evening and a great way to "end" the holiday season.