Christmas Fun

Well, our first Christmas in Asia has come and gone... Lots of fun and good times made it special for us. Though memories of cherished time with family and friends on holidays past lingered in our hearts and minds, we made some new memories, started some new traditions, and learned alot about what really matters when it comes to celebrating Christmas.

Just wanted to share with you some of our Christmas memories for 2008...

First family attempt at ginger-bread house-making...

Of course, eating the candy and making a mess made the whole process that much more enjoyable for the kids!

And here's the finished product...

...and the finished product 5 minutes later... Oh well! Caleb thought it was even better because we could eat it right away!

Decorating...

It's becoming more and more popular here to celebrate Christmas, so decorations are fairly easy to find. So a couple of weeks before Christmas, we bought a tree and a few other festive things at a local store and spent the evening eating pizza, listening to Christmas music, and decorating together...

The kids shared in the excitement, too. ...one put ornaments on while the other took them off... (guess who!)

Caleb was proud of the ornament he made...

...and he's big enough now to put the star on top of the tree!

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...

Other fun times...
Decorating cookies at a Christmas bazaar...
I couldn't even get a picture of the cookie before Caleb took a bite!

Homeschool co-op Christmas party, making handprint wreaths...

Making Christmas cards for friends and family...

Miss Priss, ready to help me wrap gifts...

...but only after a quick photo op!

Time with local friends...

This season was a good opportunity to spend special time with our friends and share a personal part of our lives with them.

Caleb's preschool Christmas program...

Christmas Eve, out on the town...

We spent Christmas Eve together delivering gifts to neighbors and friends. The kids especially enjoyed giving and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Then we went out on the town to enjoy some fresh air and fun before heading to some friends' house for the evening.

Christmas Day Festivities...

Christmas morning...

When you're half a world away from family, friends become a fundamental part of holidays. On Christmas Eve night, we put the kids to bed at the home of our good friends, and then shared cider and cookies, laughter and memories, and a late-night movie. After a short night's sleep, we let the kids open stockings and then enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of french toast, eggs, and the works.

Caleb expressed his manly excitement over a new sword, while Susanna attempted to share candy with her new toy puppy...

And here's the after breakfast satisfaction...just hanging out in the PJ's...

And now let the gifts begin...

Around 10:30, we returned home to skype with family and open packages... a highly anticipated event for all involved! First we called David's family and opened the "peanut" package... Of course, the peanuts became almost as much fun as the gifts themselves!

Next we called my family and opened packages from my brothers and their wives. Each gift was such a treasure for the kids, and getting to share that time with those we love made it all the more special. Though internet phone and video interaction are not nearly as good as the "real thing", we are forever grateful for the ability to skype and spend time with family in this way!

Family photos...

After a good nap and time with more friends, watching football, playing games, and sharing Christmas dinner, we returned home tired but happy. Though it was getting late, I didn't want to miss the chance to commemorate the occasion with a few family photos...

Well, that's the sum of our Christmas activities. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas, too!