Merry Christmas!

We just got back last night from spending Christmas with my family in Fontana. It was so amazing to have some time off. We drove up Christmas Eve after I got off work, leaving our apartment torn apart and filled with boxes (thanks to a mold problem resulting in a wall of our apartment needing to be torn out), making it just in time to have Christmas Eve dinner.

Last year at Christmas time Eric and I were freezing in Nanjing, China and making gingerbread cookies in a rice cooker. And although we loved that little, quiet Christmas together, it was fun to be able to have Christmas in America, with family and all the fun traditions that come with it. And a full-size Christmas tree, warm Southern California weather, an oven, and ham dinner. Yum.

Growing up, my family always read and acted out the Christmas story in the Bible, which I am sure many families do.

Our nephew Ezrah making a charming little Joseph. As you can see, there weren't quite enough grandkids to go around and fill up all the parts- my sister Celestia played Mary. Eric and I even got parts- we were two of the wisemen.

Some more pictures from Christmas:

Eric and I both knew what we got each other this year which definitely takes away some of the fun, but we were both still excited to open our gifts.

I love Christmas time. The smell of the Christmas tree, making fudge and cookies, eating lots of oranges, singing Christmas carols, reading Christmas stories, and most of all, being with family.

We love you all! Merry Christmas!