Whether big or small, there's nothing like having a live fir tree in the house. It looks so cheerful and smells so wonderful. Making it special with decorations collected over the years is like taking a trip back in time, remembering where and when we got each and every one. The ghost of Christmas past and the spirit of Christmas present all in one fragrant package!

Mary Ellen's Babci, taught her how to make this classic Polish dish. She has since perfected the process and gotten it down to a science. We started inviting family and friends to join us for a pierogi-making party and it's become the highlight of our holidays! We enjoy sharing this piece of our family culture and love passing this special tradition on to the next generation.

With five daughters scattered over several different states, we treasure those precious moments when we all manage to be in the same place at the same time. We'll be together again this weekend. Yay!!