Christmas 2009

Happy New Year! As we welcome the new year - and decade, I am recapping some fond - and fresh - Christmas memories. Enjoy!

This year, our home looked nothing like it was a year ago. There was no Christmas tree, no lights, no candles. I never got caught up on the Christmas preparations, since I barely got the Christmas cards and newsletters out in the mail, and Christmas shopping done before Christmas. I was still wrapping Christmas presents after the Christmas Eve Service. On top of this busyness (which seemed more than usual than years past), Hubby was sick.

But all was good. Hubby got better and off we went to my brother- and sister-in-law's for Christmas. We had a great time! It was a special year since my mother-in-law was back in the US  for a visit after almost 2 years of serving overseas, our new niece was born in the summer, and everyone from Hubby's side of family was there. We had a lot of family fun. We enjoyed a lot of food and laughter. Here are some highlights:

• Meeting our four-month-old niece. She is such a happy and quiet baby that she makes everything easy! I took so many pictures of her!
• Playing Dominoes with my 3-year-old nephew. He was really good at it.
• Seeing our 5-year-old niece in the outfits we got her; and putting a ribbon on her hair
• Watching our 5-year-old nephew build his Lego city.
• Staying in the cold (for a few minutes) with my oldest niece and nephews, one 9 years old and the other almost 9, as they tried to watch the moon and stars, and explore the universe with my nephew's telescope.
• Reading to my nieces and nephews.
• Listening to my oldest niece read the Cars story to me.
• Letting my 3-year-old nephew ride on my shoulders.
• Playing card games with the adults.
• Fourteen of us going to the zoo.
• All of us, plus our aunt who was off work that day, going to the best barbeque place for dinner right before we headed back.

It was another great Christmas with family.

Give

I am doing something special this Christmas season. I am trying to give this Christmas away.

When I was getting ready for Opeation Christmas Child earlier this year, I heard this song and was immediately intrigued by the title. Then I saw the book as I was Christmas shopping a couple of weeks ago.

I am reading 101 Simple and Thoughtful Ways to Give This Christmas Away by singer-songwriter Matthew West. This book has lots of ideas about taking the focus off of me and making others' Christmases special.

The first idea? Operation Christmas Child!

Other ideas? Holding the door for the person behind you, saying "Merry Christmas" to a complete stranger, cooking breakfast for loved ones, parking in the back to give people the closer spots, giving your family a memory......

These ideas are not difficult to do. It simply takes paying attention to others.

Go ahead. Give this Christmas away!

First Thanksgiving Meal

This year was the first time we hosted for Thanksgiving and we were having twelve guests. My gravy did not turn out, the broccoli was overdone, in the process I forgot about the ginger-glazed carrots and cranberry sauce, my mashed potatoes were liquidy, and dinner was an hour late.

But we had a great Thanksgiving!

To begin with, my first turkey turned out! It was a 20-pound turkey and at first, I was very unsure about how to cook a turkey. But after talking to a number of experienced cooks and doing some homework online, I cooked my first turkey! I forgot to take out the foil at the end to let the turkey brown, but it tasted fine.

And the meal was a result of great team work:

My sister-in-law and I went shopping for some last-minute items on Wednesday. My friends and sisters-in-law brought and made some side dishes and dessert, making it much easier for me as I did not have to cook everything. And my friends carved the turkey, Hubby set the tables, my cousin helped with dishes, my aunt and my other cousin peeled the potatoes, my sister-in-law and another friend then saved the mashed potatoes from being a pot of yellow liquid, and worked on the carrots......the list can go on. In the end, there was plenty of food for everyone!

We were able to enjoy the meal. It was so nice to spend the special day with family and friends.

Centerpiece for one of the tables

After dinner, Hubby did ALL the dishes!

My sisters-in-law and I were even crazy enough to go to the mall at midnight for Black Friday! We were there for 4 hours and it was so much fun to have some girl time!

Other fun pictures -

Hanes and Miguel (the picture frame can be ignored)

Alex and Miguel Drawing

                           

The boys enjoying mama's cookies

Big electronic device for big person, small device for small person, same serious look on the face