the Holidays...2011

Why is it that every year, holiday time is such a whirlwind of craziness? I mean, I say that b/c this year we actually didn't have that. It's not that nothing happened, but somehow there was a calm in our family. It was awesome, and hopefully it sticks for the years ahead!

We're in the quick window between Christmas and New Years now, and I wanted to recap what's happened in the last few weeks, because yet again, quite a bit has happened.

For Christmas Eve, we were honored to host everyone from the Refuge {all staff and all the girls from Casa de Esther} for a candle light service. It was quick, beautiful and intimate. And we remembered how Jesus truly is the Light of the world. And also, Naya singged a bit of her bangs off from holding her candle too close. Hahaha! Yes, as I was concentrating on how great Jesus is, I began to smell that funky burn smell, and looked down and there I saw Naya's hair burnt off at the ends...with the little black tips and all. :) It threw a little laughter in the mix which was nice.

So the service ended, and Theo and I decided it would be a good time to wrap the girls presents. Nothing like a little procrastination. We actually had fun together and made a night of it...playing the girls new Chutes and Ladders and CandyLand games. Yes I know those are for 3 year olds, but whatever. We played and we had fun.

Christmas morning was fun. Instead of just letting the girls open their gifts... we made them search the house for their gifts, then take them over to the tree until they were all found, then they were allowed to open them. This was an especially fun gift giving day for us b/c the gifts for the girls were almost all gifts that had been given to them recently but were never opened. So we did what any savvy and on a budget parent would do {for a 1, 2 and 4 year old!}, we wrapped those suckers up and those instantly and at no cost, became their christmas presents. :) They were as happy as ever and so were we. :)

After gifts, we had our friends Nic and Michelle, and their kiddos, Lauren, Hannah and Carson over for a big family breakfast, complete with red and green pancakes. Yes I'm very into food coloring things lately....I just never realized how happy that would make my kids. It also is my sly way of getting them to eat their food!

After breakfast, we were so thrilled that it wasnt freezing outside, so we did church out in the front yard. It was A-ma-zing. Thanks to God's sweet presence, Nic's guitar and vocal skills, we had some sweet worship and prayer time. After church, we all just hung out at the house together, then watched the Star of Bethlehem video.. {highly recommend that!}....girls painted with their new paint...wearing their dress up stuff... Theo used his christmas present to chop some wood... {yes he asked for an axe}...and I put on my new lipstick. :) 

Then....it happened. All of a sudden, Nic goes inside, and realizes that Carson {7}, lit our bathroom on fire....ok, not the whole bathroom. Apparently he decided to see what would happen if he lit a square of toilet paper on fire... {my bad for leaving matches by the sink...my kids know never to touch them}...well, it lit and he dropped it into the garbage can...which proceeded to catch everything else in the trash can on fire, then melt the top of the trash can....the bathroom was filled with smoke when Nic walked in. And the hysteria began. Poor guy was terrified. But alas, the entire bathroom didnt catch fire...and everything was ok. A bit later, we were laughing about it...thank God it's not a wood house.

Next Christmas Day event was getting the call that my abuelo passed away. ugh. He was 89 years old, so it's not like we were dealing with a young man. He was really sick and really old. It was his 15th day in the hospital without eating a single thing. Between his alzheimers, Chrohn's disease and a bad heart....it was just time. We all knew and were waiting for the day so it wasn't a shock. But somewhere in my mind I thought, surely he won't actually pass on Christmas day, right? Well, he did. So that was the saddest part. On a day of celebration, we had to see a loved one go. I pray he really did accept the Lord has his saviour before he passed away. Theo is convinced that he did, so that helps. I guess i'll know for sure one day.

Christmas Evening, we hosted the Refuge clan again for a nice big dinner. We all were stuffed. The food was good, and it helped to give us a little more of the 'christmas feel' down here in Mexico. :)

The next morning I had a nice long 1 hour skype talk with my mom, abuela y abuelo, and tio's in Puerto Rico. Gotta love modern technology. Now if only my dad would get a computer...

That about it...now we're planning a fun New Year's Eve party at our place with fireworks and all...then a big sleep over! Who doesn't love that?! For all who are reading this, I pray you had a wonderful Christmas and that God fills you up with His love and presence this coming year!