It has been quite a different kind of Christmas this year for David and I. It was our first Christmas by ourselves. Last year we were able to celebrate with both our families in Canada and Brazil. This year we celebrated with people from all over the world! Our Christmas dinner on the 24th was a wonderful time. We snacked on popcorn and chips and tried not to give too much to the Waddell’s dog Shishu, before sitting down for a decadent meal, complete with traditional Christmas Crackers. David and Toby (the youth pastor) were new to this European tradition, so we had to explain it to them. Basically a cracker is a little round package filled with gifts that is closed off at the ends with a little gunpowder, so when you pull the ends it makes a bang and the little gifts usually go flying everywhere! We all helped to hold all the ends and pulled together, then picked up the pieces, put on our paper crowns and read the cheesy Christmas jokes that are included! The meal was great, and we enjoyed the fellowship with old and new friends!
Pictured here clockwise from the top left; a christmas ornament, the Waddells, Ethel, David and Taara.
Pictured here clockwise from top left; Toby, Christmas candle and cards, Angie and Dani, the entrance to our apartment building.
After our Christmas dinner, we headed home to open our gifts, and leave the mess for another day! On Christmas Day I woke up early and made pancakes for breakfast, then we headed off for Church. We enjoyed sitting outside feeling the warm sun on our backs as we sung the traditional carols and heard a short message from our pastor. Afterwards we were invited to help some friend finish off their Christmas dinner leftovers, and enjoyed a turkey dinner! We spent the afternoon relaxing and watching some of our new DVD’s!
I hope that everyone had a joyous Christmas celebration!
December 26th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
….ooooh! Now I get why you can do Church on Christmas morning…you do your dinner and gifts and such on Christmas EVE!!! We go visiting on Christmas Eve (enabling me to get out of it to go to evening church) and then wake up in the morning to do stockings, followed by breakfast (including coffee and dishes, which used to drive us kids NUTS when we were young) and THEN open gifts with the entire extended family. Our dinner is that night. Sooo…you can see why there’s not church invovled for me with my unsaved family. :) And yes- it was joyous!
December 28th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
Hello David and Taara. Your “shopping” post and the Christmas celebrations one show that you two are doing a great job of making warm and lasting memories no matter where in the world you are! I imagine your trip to China will be another highlight and that Aaron is eagerly looking forward to seeing family. May your time together be filled with more wonderful memory-making moments. Happy New Year! Love Aunt Barb
January 2nd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Sounds like you both are having a nice holiday. Our Christmas cracker jokes seemed especially lame this year but it was nice to share them with family. Cheers, ears.