Cherry chocolate Christmas.

The official Christmas festivities began this weekend, with our annual visit from my mom, Larry, and Jordan. Part birthday celebration (Christmas day for my mom!), part Christmas celebration, it is always one hilarious, crazy, and love-filled visit, and this year was no exception - although I think there may have been even more smiles and giggles this year than ever! Mostly courtesy of our main man Jordan, who was hilarious and sweet, and made quite an impression on Heidi, who spent a lot of time following him around.

We kept it low-key Friday night, ordering pizza in and watching Scrooged. Saturday, my mom and I snuck off for her birthday surprise - a spa pedicure and a manicure. Then back home for lunch and giggles and cocktails and naps before dinner.

Going out on a limb here and also posting this pic of my mom and Larry even though I know my mom would kill me for doing so but it is SO CUTE no matter what she could possibly say about it.

Note, the sparkly birthday nails!

Typically I've made a big birthdaymas dinner, but this year we decided to take the family out, making reservations a few weeks ago at the happiest place on Earth, the Grand Mere Inn. It's a very traditional, family restaurant, with your basic meats and potatoes and seafoods, done deliciously and decadently with lots of butter and sauces. I knew they'd love it, and they did.

Luckily, Jordan found ways to amuse himself, even though he didn't really eat (I don't consider fries and vanilla ice cream "dinner").

I have to give him credit for being pretty patient, knowing open-presents-time was waiting at home. And I'm definitely not going to complain about the 30 solid minutes of butter-Aunt-Stephanie-up-time. I'll take my hugs and kisses any way I can get them! A brief detour to see the lights on the bluff after dinner, then home for PRESENTS!

Straight to the table to put together his new Christmas legos. Should I be surprised that it was completed by the time he went to bed?

I made breakfast this morning - pumpkin and pecan pancakes. (I want to take a brief moment to say how fantastic it is to wake up and have coffee made and ready. Thanks, Larry!) Needed to offer the fam something homemade! Then everyone left around noon, and I miss them all already.

But no time to rest.... Christmas dinner is coming soon, so while Brad got to work on painting the cabinets (more on that to come soon!), I headed to the grocery store, where I could no longer resist the cherry chips I saw a few weeks ago. Coupled with the new baking sheets from Santa Mama, I threw together some white chocolate chip and cherry chip cookies (just using the basic Tollhouse recipe).

Seriously love working for a kitchen-related company.

Always a sous chef on hand.

I wasn't sure how these would turn out because the cherry chips on their own tasted a little odd. Surprisingly enough, as they baked, they smelled a lot like Fruity Pebbles. I'm also making a concerted effort to NOT overcook cookies anymore. Because I ALWAYS overcook cookies. I did much better this time, for sure.

A little thin, but still soft (yeah!!). Still faintly smelling of Fruity Pebbles - and, really, tasting a little bit like it, too. I LOVE these cookies. Love. I absolutely recommend the combination of the weird cherry chips with the white chocolate. I'm sure these would taste fantastic with milk chocolate, too, or instead of white, even. But for a beautiful holiday treat, these are just perfect.

Seriously. What a great weekend.