Lots of Laughs

Christmas was filled with lots of laughter... the way Christmas should be.
I was blessed to be able to fly all the way back to Pasadena to be with my family for the holidays.
Christmas Eve was spent with my dad's side of the family.
Christmas morning was spent with my parents, sisters, and my sister's fiance.
Christmas evening was spent with my mom's side of the family.
And the evening ended with a white elephant gift exchange. A new tradition that I missed last year since I had stayed in Indonesia for Christmas.

This year's white elephant exchange spurred lots of fun and lots of laughter. Here's a taste:

Gathering around the tree and fireplace to open presents. My sister and her fiance.

My cousin Steve enjoys his white elephant gift- a funky hat. My sister with her "Cat-A-Pult".

Someone ended up with the Bumpit, but I can't remember who because everyone had to try it on.

My sister and cousin with their white elephant gifts. My uncle tries out the head massager, quite the gadget.

My little cousin John took over the head massager and gave everyone a chance to experience it.

My little cousin Steve is really into Harry Potter these days. Isn't he cute?

Hope you too had a little bit of fun this Christmas!

Merry Christmas

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood it.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Merry Christmas to all! Many blessings to you and your family!

Christmas is Coming

While most of Indonesia does not celebrate Christmas, we sure still do at school. This month we are finishing up first semester and with that comes final projects, tests, and of course exams. But this month we are also doing lots of celebrating. Last weekend we had our school's annual Christmas concert. We heard lots of Christmas music and got to see students from Kindergarten all the way up through high school perform. Last weekend we also had our annual staff Christmas party. We enjoyed visiting together, eating some snacks, and singing Christmas carols. Student Council has been busy at work decorating our school hallways and bringing some Christmas cheer. They also encouraged students to come dressed in red and green for Christmas spirit day. These small things are the reminders we have that Christmas is coming. Otherwise it would be easily forgotten, as you do not see reminders of it when you are out and about around Indonesia.

Thanksgiving Recap

I know it's already December but we did have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I haven't shared it with you yet. Turkey, cranberry sauce, and homemade stuffing. A yummy salad just like my mom's. :) Great conversation. Coconut drinking and a coconut throwing contest. Swimming in the ocean as the sun set. Fireworks on the beach. "The Great Durian War of 2009." Slaughtered rams. Lots and lots of games. Reading and relaxing on the beach. 18 friends, 18 places around one big table, 18 Pilgrim and Indian hats. A very memorable Thanksgiving.

Happy December

I cannot believe December is already here and well under way at that.

As I sit here typing a mosquito is buzzing around me and I cannot seem to kill it. Despite how much it does not feel like winter or like Christmas is coming, we are attempting to remind ourselves that this is in fact true. This past week we got out the fake tree and other various decorations and transformed our living room into a winter wonderland. We listened to Christmas music and sipped hot chocolate. My roommate asked the 4th graders to make snowflakes and then put them up all over our wall and even hung them from the ceiling. So it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house. How about yours?

White for Harvest

"Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together."