My sisters hubby to the left, and Max Kim and Leonie Anna, my nephew and niece+ godchild, they grew sooo much since last year.
Papa as "Nikolaus" and my brother Felix played the "Knecht Rupprecht" (his helper). We have the tradition that they come on the 6th of December. Good kids get presents and the naughty ones will be put into his big sack/bag. To please the Nikolaus the kids are supposed to tell him a little poem, play something on an instrument or sing a song. Felix and Papa came from the cold dark making lots of noise to my sister's house. There were 3 families with little kids and us Günkels. Was good fun espiecially the dressing up part with everything we could findd at home and the kids made biiiiig eyes :-O
here is the whole story (click it)
Snow for the cookies and snow for us too. Last week we had snow and down to -17° C, that was unreal 
the endresult 
we had the big "welcome meal" for the whole family on the same day as the cookie baking, the kitchen looked like after bomb attack (german saying)
Kim, Felix, Andrea and myself about to start indulging this real frankonian (the region around nuremberg) meal. 
voila, the perfect "schäufele with dumplings and savoy cabbage and gravy" looks massive, doesnt it? but still....mhmmmmmmmm. The dumplings are made of potatoes and have a piece of toasted bread inside. The cabbage is just cooked and blended. A meal full of softness, dont need to chew too much, haha.
The schäufele is the shoulder of the pig and its super tender, just comes off the bone like that and then there is the crust, aspect number 2 the schäufele is famous for: also really yummy. Not the best for your health but thats why it is something special, cant have it everyday. and then the whole "big thing" is finished with a very declicious gravy. hungry ;) ?
although we all nearly seemed to explode, we did manage dessert. everyone who knows Anna banana, knows there is no real meal without dessert, thats just not on =)
everything was there again on my first morning, Brezen, breadrolls, "sausages" and ham, cheese, jam, eggs, danishes, joghurt, fresh orange juice....and papa
Daddy and daughter finally united again.... 
Papa, Anna und Papa's partner Babs