Feliz Navidad

Yes. I do know that "Sing your way home" is not at Christmas song. Thanks. BUT, the point was, singing Christmas songs ALL the way home. Get it? I'd love to be singing Christmas songs all the way home. In fact, a friend let us borrow a car this week (deeee-lightful!), there is one U.S. station here, for "the troops". Feliz Navidad happened to be on the radio. I rolled down my window, into the glorious 74 degree air, drove through camp, wind in my hair, singing at the top of my lungs, and blared Feliz Navidad. It. Felt. Great. For some reason, it kinda felt like I was "stickin' it to the man" - if you know what I mean. Lovely.

Here's a little glimpse around our house: Pre holiday. I've already started taking the tree down. It is the 27th after all, and I like to have it down the 26th. I figure, one month is enough. It's been so nice to have it up though. It felt like home.

We had the branch party at our house last week. Very fun. We had great Pakistani food that we ordered from a restaurant off camp. There were around thirty people, nine of which were kids - and we all had a 'merry' time. The evenings are just perfect right now. A nice breeze, and you almost need a jacket. (well, most people here are in jackets, but come on! Is sixty five, at night, really jacket weather? Really.) 'Recreation' here on camp, will bring chairs and tables (and most anything you could want) for free, to your house for a party or whatever you need them for. They deliver and pick up. It's great. So we set up tables in the back yard, lit the tiki torches, and wished each other a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve, we had few people over for our annual Chinese food fun. It was the sabbath, so we bought some on Thursday, and I made the rest on Friday. Some very delicious Pon Pon Chicken. (it's really a form of sweet and sour, orange and pon pon - just depends on which way you want to lean on the spices) Recipe for this, and WORLDS greatest caramel corn, tomorrow!

Seems like I cooked the entire weekend. Saturday, our Monday, Peter had to be at work first thing, so we opened presents and ate our Christmas Breakfast of Dutch Babies for lunch. My parents always join us Christmas morning for present opening. We feel SO blessed to have modern technology, thanks to Skype, they were able to be with us again. Their Christmas Eve and our Christmas morning. Great fun!

We spent lots of time talking to family and loved ones. It's been a bit hard being so far from home, but we'll be home next year. And, like they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Probably the strangest thing for us, is how life is business as usual around here. Christmas really lasts, like, ten days in the U.S. There are the parties, and what not. Then the 23rd or so, we all get really excited. Then as the days roll on, and until about January first, we are spending time with friends and family. Work is slow, life is sweet. Here. Christmas day was just another day. Funny, how in all my 36 Christmas's prior to this one, it never even crossed my mind that people could care less what December 25th brought to them. Even here, so close to the birthplace of the Savior, how strange, that people don't even know anything about Him.

I had a conversation with a local girl, she saw a picture of Santa, and said to me "What is that thing you call it when that man comes?" That man? How strange that she didn't know who he was. People here LOVE, and I mean LOVE the T.V. show 'Friends'. They watch it all the time. How strange to me, that you watch Friends on a regular basis, something so Western, yet you don't know the name of Santa Claus, or Christmas. I understand not knowing about the Savior, but the Western (pagan - haha) holiday of Christmas, something SO commercialized, I cannot understand.

So everything was open Christmas day, like nothing was different. Because it wasn't. Business as usual. But one thing I think we really liked, is that we didn't see one Christmas commercial, didn't go to the mall once, all of our presents were completely purchased in August. We just enjoyed being together. During this three week break for the kids, we've been to the beach a few times, played air hockey, pool, and ping pong at the rec center. Went bowling, walked to the commissary, and been on lots of walks and bike rides. I do enjoy the simple life. No office parties, so school parties. Just being together.

I hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas! I know we enjoyed our time here, so close to the location of that miraculous night so very long ago. I know the Savior lives. And that He loves each and every one of us.