Christmas Then & Now

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! (A day or so late, still better than never)

I figured I would just give you a little run down of the past few days to compare it to what my normal Holiday typically looks like. 

Back Home: 

Its my most favorite day of the year. Shopping all day with my dad, grabbing lunch with him. Rushing back to the house after we stop at the the Store (Creative Connections!) to visit Mim and Donna. Smuggling all the presents back in the truck with the boys. Rushing Home with a Dunkachino. Wrap all of the gifts while Dad runs around. Wait for Mim to get home. Meet up with the Slocums for a night of food and family and laughing. Head to church. Belt out “We Three Kings” as loud as we can. Open presents, play the “dingalings” and laugh til we are ready for bed. 

Wake up on the third floor of a tile building on the floor, all windows and doors are open. Group up with Shabach for “Shagape” Christmas Eve at the beach. Hop on a bus, head down to Patong. Starbucks, iced Americano, check. Walk down to the beach. Lay out in the sand on my quick dry towel. Hang out in the waves and laugh just as hard as I would back home with my favorite girls. Sunburn in process. Lunch at the local joint for some Pad Thai. Head to the Mall, coffee oreo Blizzards. Tim needs help with his secret Santa last minute shopping… just like Dad. Head back to the beach. Swim some more, lay out again. Find a public bus to squeeze onto, head back home. Sing carols and pass out cookies to people in the neighborhood. Hold, dance, run around, and pray for the children that have followed us back. Hang up a million paper snowflakes on the windows, finish and wrap presents, hang up the paper tree with my best friend and favorite elf. Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, eat crap load of candy, fall asleep no later than three, no earlier than 2:30 in the morning….

Wake up wicked early. Try to get Jeff up… no luck. Head down stairs, tear through my stocking. Wait and wait for my parents to get up (no presents until they are!) Dad is in the office finishing cards and pictures for movies. Mim comes down starts to make breakfast. Jeff gets up, Breakfast Casserole, Egg Nog French Toast, Coffee, goodness all around. Open Presents. Watch Ice Age and or Elf, (if Mim can find it and not accuse Jeff or I of taking it.) Gram comes over. Hang out in Pjs. Nice meal later, naps and cuddeling with Mim on the couch. Han g out with Drew Kerry and Jim and whoever makes their way over through all the snowy back roads. 

Wake up to Heidi making a breakfast from home for us! Eggnog French Toast for me (Egg nog from scratch people!) Getting the squad together, singing Christmas songs, surprising them with letters from home (all the hard work and elf planning with Chels paid off!) wiping off tears, moving to laugher in superlatives with secret santa. Cleaning my room (ahhhh I mean pad on the floor and a 3×3 space for my stuff) Heading up to the Dam with 90 other people who are staying at the base with me. COOKOUT! Burgers, chicken, soda, sides, treats. Playing with kids from the neighborhood. Praise and Worship. Missing my family. DHL truck arrives with a package from home. Balling my eyes out with pics and cards from more people I can count (I love you guys!) Crying at the new White T’s! Piling into the back of the truck, to go to the movies. Narnia, when I fell asleep ten minutes into. McDonalds cheeseburger for dinner (Classy) back home, eating more and more candy. Skyping with everyone I could get ahold of, crying when the connection was bad, laughing when it was worse. Cracking up and eating candy with Matthew in between calls. Staying up til 3 am trying to see Tarryn & Ave’s. BED. The next day is filled with another long day at the….. Beach 🙂

 I can’t say I would again ever willing trade my white snow for white sand. My Mim, Daddyoh and Brother Bear for my crazy family of 34. Trade a Christmas Ham for a McD’s Cheeseburger or my flannel PJs and heated mattress for a tank top shorts and sleeping bag on the floor… but this year was perfect in its own way. All things can change and be different but that does not change the fact that it was a celebration for Jesus Christ coming down to Earth in a manger to save EVERYONE on it. Oh, Joy to the World!