Another story of family–and especially cousins! But to reset the mood for the Holidays, dear reader, let’s start out with a special Holiday Medley piano concert from Ella, which she put together with various songs I think you’ll recognize:

(CLICK FOR VIDEO)

Excellent, right? That kid is talented. For Christmas we headed to Minnesota to see Bart’s family, which meant the girls got some snow time, too. To maximize our time with family, we booked a super early flight, for which these I’m-not-a-morning-person kids got up at 3:30 am. #bestparentsever

Though it made for a long first day, it was worth it! We got to see (and stay with!) our friend Kerry and her awesome kids, so our first stop was getting settled there. Then we headed over to Grandma + Grandpa’s house and went to dinner with the Johnsons at Olive’s Fresh Pizza.

During dinner, proving once again that she’s the best teen on the planet, Zoe took the younger girls through a series of challenges. They had to use the metal pizza holders on the table in creative ways to stand up the salt and pepper shakers–simultaneously… It was hilarious to watch, and the best part: check out where that teen’s phone is located (HINT: Not in her hand).

The following day we got to see an even larger swath of the Johnson-Peterson clan when Bart’s brother hosted a reunion at his lovely home. They have a tradition of eating homemade Holiday cookies (yum) and “Nankin-inspired” food based on a cafe they used to frequent that closed years ago. This year’s Chinese food came from a cute place called A Wok in the Park, complete with fortune cookies, fried rice, and egg rolls.

There was even a karaoke session downstairs, in which most of the family participated (video intentionally omitted). The kids drank more Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider than should be allowed, which was actually chilled out on the deck because that’s what you can do when it’s super cold in Minnesota. That night we had a lively White Elephant party with Kerry’s family, which the kids loved–and everyone ended up with something fun.

The NEXT day was when the snow fun really began. I hate to spoil anything, but in case you’re hoping for videos of cute kids sledding down a hill, there was little of that. Here’s what these girls were most interested in (and willing to do):

• A recreation of photos we took last year (see the comparisons below).
• Eating snow. And eating more snow. (Yes, they know to avoid the yellow kind and had a pristine snow-covered hill behind Grandpa & Grandma’s place to “eat”.)
• Snow angels. The videos were less interesting than I hoped, but I got a picture for proof.
• Rolling down the hill, no sled… I’m sure there was some point where I would have thought that sounded fun, but as an adult, it just looks COLD to me…
• Throwing snow at me, the photographer. The first time this happened was when I asked Ella to do it, so I could capture a snowball in the air. Though I missed the shot, I got a snowball between the eyes… #winning?

We actually had two days of snow fun, so what you’ll see below is combined, but trust me, day one and day two were very similar. On day two they literally ignored the sleds and just rolled…

And now, here are cute, happy children rolling down a hill. No one will judge you for watching on repeat. (CLICK FOR VIDEO)

The night of our first snow day, the girls had yet another cold weather treat: Ice Skating at Centennial Lakes Park! Not on a fake rink, but on a frozen body of water. Bart and I did not ice skate. When I asked my hip replacement doc if I could “skate” with my new hip, he said, “Sure. Just don’t fall.” Nice.

I also have a fear of drowning, and I hate being cold. So, while our children were thrilled to be “on a lake” (it was shallow and man-made, but still), that’s not for me. Plus, this scene was not reassuring:

But our children were unconcerned, and I’ll take points for deciding that not all those Minnesotans, including my husband, could be irresponsible humans. Though I must add: There was no “waiver” to sign and no time limit for skate rental. Think about that. Anyway, everyone survived.

The following day started with Grandpa and some of Bart’s siblings on the volleyball court, where that whole family is quite comfortable. We weren’t there for that, but I’m including a shared photo to remind the kids how strong their genes are!

That afternoon we all met at the Putt Shack from some indoor, high-tech mini golf, as we did last year. It’s honestly how every course should be, with tech tools to count your putts, keep score, and tell you when it’s your turn. On our final day in Minnesota, we headed to Saint Bonifacius where Bart’s brother’s family lives for another incredible day of eating and family time.

It was a great trip and so wonderful to see ALL his siblings, their children and Grandma + Grandpa AND our friend Kerry’s family for the Holidays. Oh, and before I forget, if you haven’t had Dot’s Pretzels, don’t. I’d never even heard of them, but Kerry had some at her house, and my children haven’t stopped wanting them yet… We can barely find them in LA, but here’s what our last night in Minnesota looked like: Dot’s Pretzels, Dubai chocolate candy bar + hot chocolate. Decadent.

We took another super early flight home to LA on Christmas Eve, to be sure we’d make it home before Santa arrived. The flight part was easy, but we landed to torrential rains in Los Angeles.

For Christmas Eve, we went out for Chinese food down the street from our house, where we put the girls to the “Draw 3 Things” challenge, Christmas version. The first challenge (top row of pictures below) was to draw a mischievous scene that included The Elf on the Shelf (elf, mischief, something green). The second mission was to include a Christmas tree, the cat and ornaments. I think they all turned out great, though we have two very different (yet creative) kids:

At around 9:30 pm on Christmas Eve, Ella came into the room with our actual Christmas tree and Elf on the Shelf to deliver a letter to Santa, which included her wish list with 8 items on a piece of paper she had fashioned into an envelope. Not kidding. Needless to say, “Santa” had already done his shopping, and I reminded her that he had already been out delivering presents around the world for hours… She said she understood, and to sweeten the pot, she had included an apology:

Though Santa had a few of those items, he also came through with a gift card, which we promptly used on Christmas Day online after frantically opening presents to fill in some of the wish list items. It all worked out just fine, and we had a lovely Christmas.

Turns out that gift cards burn a hole in the pockets of children, so the day after Christmas, we headed to the outlet mall in Oxnard to shop (and drink Boba).

I promise we’re almost done!

Every year we love to go to a light show, which is usually either at the LA Zoo or Holiday Road, but this year “Enchant LA” ads won out. On a section of the parking lot of the Santa Anita raceway, they popped up an extensive light show installment, including a sledding slope, ice skating, a maze, and mini-golf, all outdoors. There was also food and drink, and Zoe insisted on the potato tornado.

And last but not least, we spent New Year’s Eve with our friends Mary and Bardo and their awesome kids, who are literally Boy Scouts. Together the kids crafted a cheese and charcuterie plate to signify the year, and again, those kids drank more Martinelli’s (in individual small bottles that made them look like winos as they drank them). We watched the ball drop for East Coast New Year’s Eve and went home. A perfect way to end every year.

We did it! That’s a wrap on 2025, as best I can do. We’re already off on new adventures, so I’ll do my best to try and keep up. No promises… HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing you a wonderful 2026.