Christmas Eve

We spent a wonderful Christmas Eve with our amazing friends the Berryhills and the Whitts.  It was a night of amazing food and family traditions.  We are so blessed here with our Chile Family.  We started our Christmas Eve traditions at home with our annual family talent show.  First land, then water.

Science experiment…mentos and coke.

After the talent show, we packed in the car and headed over to spend our Christmas Eve with many of those we love in Chile.  After a delicious Italian dinner, the kids put on a nativity performance that was so good.  They worked together to make it so special!

A narrator.

An inn keeper and Joseph. 

Mary, baby Jesus, and even a donkey too. 

An angel and a Shepard. 

And the cutest wise men riding their camels.

And don't forget that sweet sheep in white, right in the front.

Then there was outside fun.

And dodgeball.

And football.

 Then carols and games!

The oreo game.  Get the oreo from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands.  And the victor was Mark, a hidden talent.   

In fact, it must be in the genes because Dallin won the kid's round.

Drew was perseverance itself.  He stayed outside long after the game ended determined to accomplish this task.   After about 20 minutes the dog came outside and dropping the oreo was not a good thing, so Drew came inside.

Julie was the champion of this round.

Life is so good! 

We ended this night a bit late with our scavenger hunt.  Which yielded some favorite American treats (thank you to our neighbor who graciously brought Goldfish and Cheezits back with her in her suitcase after Thanksgiving in the States).

Then on to our watching of the nativity and a traditional Christmas movie.  It ended in a sleeping Easton.  We went on our walk with Easton asleep in the stroller. Then came home to put out the cookies for Santa and head to bed…though Mom and Dad still had a lot of work ahead.  But of course it was all worth it!

Christmas Cheer

It is always odd to be celebrating Christmas in 90 degree weather in the pool.  So we try to find ways to  feel that Christmas Spirit.  Mark's office had their Christmas party (employees only) on 23 December so I took the boys out on the town.  We went to our favorite pizza place.  Then we headed to Chile's largest mall to enjoy some Argentinian ice cream and the amazing decorations, including a huge, nearly 6 story Christmas tree.

Do  you find it odd that all the Christmas themed things in this Chilean mall are in English? 

After the mall, we went to a park that had an outdoor (free) exhibit of Christmas trees from around the world.  I wish I had pictures, but I only had my phone which does not do pictures when it is dark.  They were amazing sculptures that really showed culture and design of the countries they represented.

Learning to swim

With a swimming pool in the backyard, Mark and I have been extremely aware of the dangers that can occur.  There is a locked fence around the pool, but it still makes us a bit nervous.  So learning to swim is not optional around here.  Easton had swim lessons last year, and he had his first round for this summer in Decemeber.
Easton started out in the 4 year old class, but after a couple of days they moved him in with the 5 year olds since he puts his head in with no problem and can swim a bit on his own.  More than enough that if he accidentally feel in he could make his way over to the side to get out.

Easton is in the back of the train.  In Chile all people are required to wear swim caps in public pools.   Just in case you can't pick him out.

That's him under the water swimming to the side.  His favorite thing to do was to go down the little slide into the pool and then swim back to the side all by himself.  I have video of it.  But it won't upload.

December Holiday Events

Drew had his end of year music concert and he was so excited because he was on the drum set!  He had so much fun and it made it so enjoyable to watch because of his excitement!

 We watched with our good friends the Berryhills, who's daughter was on the keyboards in the front.

Mason had his holiday band concert.  And once again he was fabulous.  I am so grateful that he gets to learn and enjoy music from a music teacher that loves what he does.  It makes such a difference in Mason's life.  

 There were two weeks in which we all went down to a cold that made us feel yuck!  These two were home sick one day and they just looked so cute watching a show, and hanging out on a sick day.

 Our church Christmas party!  Notice Mason and Dallin are not in any pictures…they simply came for the food.

 The big excitement of Santa coming!

 Drew wasn't extremely excited but once he opened the gift - a soccer ball - we was more than thrilled, his old ball had just been thrown away because it no longer held air.  Exactly what he wanted!

Easton was so excited and kept saying, "Look at what Santa gave me!"  In the car on the way home, he   said, "Mom, that wasn't the real Santa, he was just helping."  I told him yes, because it is such a busy time of year for Santa that he needs lots of helpers to make all the magic happen.  I have such a love for the innocence of Christmas.  The love and magic that Santa represents.  And that is what I always emphasize, that Santa represents the good of giving and love at this holiday time.

 And of course making and decorating Christmas cookies the Sunday before Christmas so we can have our cookies for Santa!