Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree."
~ Charlotte Carpenter.
I loved taking this picture, yet at the same time I can’t believe I’m the one behind the camera now. Am I really the parent now? I loved creeping out of the bedroom this morning before the kids woke up to get a picture of the tree surrounded by gifts. My Dad was always in charge of this picture in my house growing up. Every year on Christmas morning, we'd all congregate in my parents room before we were allowed to head downstairs and open our gifts. And without fail, every year after turning the lights on the tree on, starting the coffee, tweaking any last minute gifts, and of course, snapping off a few pictures of the tree in all it’s glory (before we kids could destroy everything), he would come back upstairs to inform us that we should all go back to bed, because Santa had in fact skipped our house this year. That was our cue to run downstairs! I can't imagine that my children won't have that experience. No one did it quite like dad. But now I’m the parent. I’m the one silently checking to make sure Santa made his rounds. How did that happen?
Our stockings were too heavy to hang! We don't have a mantel, so the stockings had to be tacked to the windowsill this year. Santa filled our stockings too full of goodies to be able to hang from a tack, so they had to be moved to the coffee table.
Can you spot the two little elves Santa must have left behind amongst all these toys?
There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."
~ Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
The very first thing Ella spotted when they came downstairs were her new American Girl Bitty Twins.
And the first thing Sterling spotted was his new Thomas the Train set. We’ve decided to start him collecting the wooden “Thomas” trains, so Santa left 4 new trains and a track for him. Michael was a naysayer and didn’t think he’d like the train set because nothing lit up, played music, flashed lights or had buttons. But surprise, surprise, Sterling proved that all little boys love a simple wooden train! It was the first thing he wanted to play with, and as he marched off to bed tonight, he had a wooden train clenched tightly in his little fist.
Boy and girl twin baby dolls...just like Ella and Sterling! What's this new little Mommy to do with an armful of babies?
When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness."
~ Bob Hope
I think we were all pleasantly surprised at exactly how exciting this Christmas was for the kids this year. It was so much fun watching them walk from one toy to the next and examine each toy with amazement. I can only imagine what they had to be thinking this morning. They went to bed last night, and all was well, then they wake up this morning to find a roomful of new and wonderful toys! Of course, the Santa Claus thing is totally nonexistent this year, but they definitely understood there was a whole bunch of new toys awaiting them this morning…and they liked that a whole lot!
These babies must've been very good this year!
Sterling finally has a pony of his own. His pony he received for Christmas last year is currently “boarding” at Grandmother’s house until we return to the states…he cost way too much to ship! Lucky for Sterling, Santa found this little pony that was able to make the journey here. Sterling was very excited to find a pony to ride that really whinnies and neighs, and makes little trotting noises in his living room this morning.
Grand-Mère sent Sterling this goofy little “Helmet Heroes” toy for Christmas. The toy itself is a little advanced yet for Sterling, but he loves wearing the silly helmet, and boy does he look goofy!
We were able to video conference on the laptop with Grand-Mère and Billy who are spending their Christmas in South Carolina. They got to watch the kids open a few presents via the web cam before going to Christmas Eve dinner (there is a 14 hour time difference).
Poor Michael. He got a little shorted on the gifts this year. Only one of the many presents I ordered for him got here in time for Christmas. I actually woke up at 6am on Christmas Eve just to go to the mailroom and check to see if anything had arrived. I don’t think he minded, he still had lots of gifts sent by other people to open, and of course, I think we all enjoyed watching the babies unwrap their gifts more than anything this year. And now he’ll just get a load of New Year’s gifts!
This little girl loves babies, and after today she has another half dozen to add to her care. Sextuplets? She got babies that cry, babies that take a bath, babies that suck a pacifier…you name it! And yet she still didn’t get tired of unwrapping babies! Every time she’d unwrap a baby she’d shriek out “baby!” like, “Oh no! Someone get that baby out of that paper!”
Working together to open the many gifts they received.
Sterling and Ella check out the new car park Sterling received.
One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."
~ Andy Rooney (1919-)
“Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."
~ Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
Look at this beautiful blanket Grandma crotched and sent the kids. Sterling got a matching one in blue as well. It’s just gorgeous, and super soft. I think we may have a new favorite blankie.
A book with buttons…perfect!
We rounded out our Christmas celebration with a dinner in our home Christmas night for all our close friends. We had a home full of friends; children running everywhere, laughter, good food, and all the things warm memories are made of. This truly was a perfect Christmas!
Our little house was packed to the gills, and we couldn’t have been happier! We don’t have a table here large enough to seat a crowd, so dinner was more buffet style, with people filling a plate and grabbing a seat wherever they could. We served ham, broccoli casserole, corn, crab bisque, rolls, and of course, our Christmas cake!
We borrowed Eve’s little table so the children would all have a place to sit at our house. Notice that Sterling is missing. Tonight he was too excited and too full of Christmas cookies to sit down and eat. Instead he zipped around the room like a little lightening bolt, and ate his dinner after everyone had gone home.
I told you we couldn’t resist those awesome Christmas cakes. Isn’t it adorable?
Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'."
~ Bing Crosby (1904-1977)
Ella and Eve found a nice quiet place to sit and read with Eun Ji.
Merry Christmas To Sarah, Eve, and Kevin.
Merry Christmas to Mason, Lyndsay, Dave, and Emma.
The "H" family will be heading back to the states for good on December 30th. I cannot even begin to tell you how much we'll miss them as they move on the their next duty station. I know both Ella and "Sterning" are going to miss Emma and baby Mason a whole lot, and Korea certainly won't be the same without Lyndsay in it. We look forward to crossing paths with this wonderful family again some day. Goodspeed "H" family.
Merry Christmas to Heather, Chang Young, and Luter.
Merry Christmas from Ella and Sterling.
What a little cheeser!
Thank you Uncle Billy for the adorable new outfits! Leave it to their stylish Uncle to find the 2 cutest outfits in all of Bloomies to send his favorite niece and nephew.
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