By the Fourth Day of Christmas...

It's been a busy week. Dancer made a knock-out orange-raspberry cake for Christmas dessert:

Snuggler and Little Guy got dressed up for church on Christmas Eve:

And Little Guy slept by the Christmas tree:

Big Guy came for an overnight visit, and enjoyed the mustard-coated roast beef we had for Christmas dinner. Eldest hung out with him, read, and recovered from her cold. Dancer spent hours putting together the complicated marble run. My parents decided to drive up from my brother's house before (rather than during) the blizzard, and made it safely.

Then yesterday someone turned seven. We celebrated with apple pie and homemade French vanilla ice cream:

I have been reading book after book (in between cooking and etcetera-ing), happily sipping coffee with steamy milk made in my new milk frother. Perhaps I will have more profound thoughts another day, or week. But for now I'm happily living out the relaxed days given to me, picking up errant wrapping paper scraps and making sure my hips have enough extra cookie padding to merit a significant diet come January 1.