Merry Christmas!

After our big dinner on Christmas Eve, we vowed to keep Christmas a more low key affair this year. No huge meals, no invited guests. Just our little family, and a very chilled day. And it was perfect. We also keyed back on gifts this year. . . . Santa brought the girls a shared DS, and I made them super hero capes. Less presents meant less mess, which meant less opening annoying toy packaging, which means less accumulation in our home. Less was definitely more for us this year, and I didn't hear a single complaint!

Christmas morning with us all looking our finest. I love Maddie's face in this one, she was so ready to rip into her present.

Maddie's prized Christmas present. This cute dog sings songs, and can even be programmed to say Madeline's name. She loves her new puppy!

The girls with stuffed animals from their Mama and Papa Bear. They sure know the key to these girls hearts. . . . not only are they pink, they have HUGE blue eyes. Pretty perfect for my blue eyed girls!

The gift they were hoping Santa would bring, but that they were worried they would not get.

Tooth brush from the stocking. Emily pointed out to me that Santa always brings an electronic toothbrush in the stocking (unbeknownst to be . . . guess the big guy made a habit without even realizing it). She told me she thinks it is because Santa doesn't think the ones I buy are good enough. Whew. Good thing Santa is looking out for them!

The carnage at it's height. And the cat sleeping in the entertainment center if you look closely enough. She likes to sleep on the warm cable box. . . the girls have taken to referring to it as her bedroom.

Maddie with her "two babies." Last year Santa brought her a baby doll just like the one in the pink gown (which belongs to Hannah). She adored it, and somehow lost it. This year Santa replaced it with the one with hair. Not a popular choice. Apparently dolls with hair freak her out. Sadly this doll will soon find itself relegated to a give away pile. Looks like we need to work harder to find a more suitable replacement. . . . Hannah's bound to want her baby back any day now.

Matching doll/girl jammies courtesy of Nana and Grandpa.

Emily and Ruthie

Super hero capes. Note the thumb sucking, I know it freaks some people out, but I find it endearing.

Back of super hero capes. Reversible with Batman on one side and Super Man (or woman) on the other. Madeline, as you can see, has yet to master the concept of "show me the back."

She did get the concept of "I'm going to get you!"

Matching dresses from Nana. Good thing this next one is a boy. . . can you imagine four matching girls?! Now that would have been trouble.

A Christmas Eve Surprise. . . . It's A. . . . . .

My Christmas Eve started with a quick trip to the doctor and a telling ultrasound. . . . but more on that later!

After I got home, we kicked off Christmas Eve morning by finally getting around to making the gingerbread houses I had been promising the kids the entire month. Something about being pregnant and exhausted and the holidays has not been the best mix! It's been so hard to get stuff done, even the stuff I love doing with the kids. Anyway lest we let a yearly tradition slip away, I stayed up late and made the houses so we were ready to decorate in the morning. This year instead of one large house I made three smaller houses so each of the girls could have their own. They loved it, and it was fun to watch them each come up with their own patterns and plans. Maddie's plan involved eating at least equal amounts as she used for decorative purposes. (Ignore the nasty messy kitchen in the background. . . sorry!).

Three very distinct houses.

I spent the rest of the day cooking a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos and cupcakes to take to our friends house for a Christmas Eve dinner. We had three families, and split the large holiday meal so nobody ended up having to cook too much. . . it worked out so perfectly! Large meals like that should always be shared.

Right before we left for dinner the girls, as tradition dictates, were allowed to open a new pair of pajamas to wear to bed on Christmas Eve. We surprised them, though, by giving them each an additional gift to open that we told them was for the new baby. I had sewn a blanket in both girl and boy colors and had picked up a few small outfits at the PX in both genders. I had decided I was going to tell the kids the gender of the baby by letting them open the presents and figuring out what the items meant.

Getting ready to open. . .

The loot.

The loot up close.

Yup. . . according to this picture it's a BOY!!!

We were honestly floored, both Tyler and I thought for sure it was another girl, we even had a super cute girl name picked out. I still find it hard to believe. . . after Maddie was a boy for 8.5 months before her birth I'm guessing I will always remain a bit skeptical. Anyway all you mothers of sons. . . does this ultrasound clearly depict a boy? Am I just being a cynic if I'm doubting? Leave a comment. . . I'll be curious to hear!

Here's the video of the girls putting together the gender. As you can tell Emily is THRILLED!

After we opened the presents we drove to our friends house for dinner. Emily was so excited to tell Carol. . . who literally screamed when she told her it was a boy. What a fun surprise to share on Christmas Eve! The food was amazing, and the company even better.

Hannah and McKenna

Emily stealing baby Maddox's hat

Sorry it's blurry. . . but man do these two love each other! Hannah has declared she will marry Jakey someday.

Chris reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids. They each had a small present they had to pass when he said the word AND. At the end they kept whatever they had. Maddie played for one round, until she got a small wind up Pororo toy. Then she grabbed the toy and made off for a back room. Smart! Hannah got a pooping reindeer, and seriously thought she was in heaven. She loves that pooping reindeer.

We all exchanged kids names so each of the kids received one present on Christmas Eve. As you can see Sarah had the key to Maddie's heart.

And Hannah loved her Thumbelina. No picture, but Sarah's girls got Emily a pair of warm winter boots. Emily is in love! She was so protective of them she put them back in the bag and carried them around the rest of the night "so nothing would happen to them."

Finally back home. . . house clean. . . . cinnamon rolls for the morning made. . . gifts laid out. . . time for bed. . . . . what a magical day!

Kosin University Christmas Tree Festival

On this tiny little island, Yongdo, connected to the tip of Busan, is Kosin Univeristy, a small Christian university. Every year they put together a huge Christmas Tree Festival, where lights are strung across the entire campus. The campus is situated on a hill, and the lights stretched across the entire campus, up the sidewalks, on the hills, it was really something. It is easily the largest concentration of lights I have seen in years, and we all loved it. Christmas music was playing, lights were flashing, parking attendants were dressed as Santa.

Despite the sub-zero temperatures and the wind chill, the older girls tore around greeting Santas, sitting on sleds and marveling at the lights. We were also lucky enough to be there on the same night the US Eighth Army Band traveled down from Seoul to perform a Christmas concert. The band was amazing, playing a solid mixture of holiday music, and the concert hall was a welcomed break from the freezing temperatures.

The festival was honestly amazing, and we look forward to visiting again next year. . . though none of us would complain if it were slightly warmer! These pictures do not even do it justice, but it was cold and Maddie was cranky, and there wasn't much time to spend tinkering with camera settings!

Eighth Army Band

This picture doesn't do it justice, this was a huge hillside covered with lights.

Popsicle Family Shot. . . poor Maddie was miserable at this point. . . she wouldn't keep her gloves on and her poor fingers froze. Her problem: it was late, she was tired and she just wanted to suck her thumb!

There was an entire section of gorgeous nativities.

Another illuminated hillside.

This twinkling star filled the entire side of this 5 or 6 story building.

Sung Ae Won Orphanage Christmas Party

This year we were really trying to instill in the kids the spirit of giving and charity around the holidays. It's so easy to get caught up in the Christmas lists and the presents, and though I'll be honest there was still plenty of that, I really wanted them to appreciate giving and the power of compassion at this time of the year. Not the easiest lesson to teach a six and four year old. . . but were incredibly lucky to have amazing chances this holiday season to give.

The girls' school kicked off the holidays with a toy drive for gently used toys to donate to a local orphanage. The girls can be a little stingy at time with cleaning out toys and getting rid of stuff, but somehow with the thought of sharing with kids who were less fortunate, my girls went to town on their bedroom and toy room. We emerged with a car full of toys they decided they were finished with. We bagged everything up and took it to the school. Hannah continued throughout the next week to find things she wanted to donate and the pile kept growing, she was so determined to give the children a good Christmas.

I felt the real spirit of the season when Hannah emerged from her bedroom one day after school clutching her prized blanket with a serious look on her face. She explained to me that she felt she had a "responsibility" to give her blankie to a baby who didn't have one. Bless her little heart! I reassured her it was ok to keep her special blanket and that I would be able to find another one to send for the babies. I will admit, she looked a little relieved. I was so proud of her for being willing to give the thing she probably loves the most in this world to someone less fortunate. I'll be honest though. . . her blankie is pretty hashed. . . I'm not sure they would even want it!

After school was out, Pier 8, the lone US Military instillation left in Busan, decided to team with the girls school and the Busan International Women's Association to throw a Christmas Party for the orphanage. Food was donated, money was donated, and it was decided to purchase one toy for each child (barbies and dolls for the girls and legos for the boys). We happened to be headed to Daegu to the nearest military base to get immunizations for the girls, so I volunteered to stop in the PX and buy the barbies and legos. As we walked up and down the small toy aisles Hannah again really started to get into the spirit. She was throwing toys right and left into the cart while proclaiming, "the orphans will love this!" We filled the carts with half naked barbies (we gave each of the girls a barbie sized hanbok too to make up for the bikini!) and lego sets, and amazingly I did not hear one request from my kids for a toy (a true Christmas miracle). . . we were so focused on others I'm not even sure they stopped to think about themselves.

I baked tons of cookies and on the day of the party I loaded up the girls and drove to the orphanage to help with the party. I love this orphanage, it is so warm and full of life and spirit. The kids are loved and so like a big family, it's truly a joy to visit there. The kids all came into the main play room with santa hats and holiday vests on, looking so cute. The girls had fun running around and playing, and as usual the orphanage children loved Madeline and wanted to lead her around everywhere.

There was a magician, face painting, pizza and treats galore, and a surprise visit at the end from Santa with a present for the kids. I think everyone involved felt the true meaning of Christmas with this special group of kids. . . I know my kids did, and hopefully the learned something special about the season. . . something that will stick with them.

The girls' principal with one of the cutest girls ever! They are so used to foreigners after all of our visits they show no hesitation wanting to be picked up and loved.

Sarah and baby Maddox were hugely popular, too!

University students doing face painting.

The awesome magician who volunteered his time, the kids LOVED it!

Lunch time! And what a spread, the kids were in heaven. . . pizza. . . . strawberries. . . juice boxes. Yummy!

Big group shot after Santa's visit (minus the babies and toddler)

BFS Christmas Pageant

It was time again for the Busan Foreign School Christmas Pageant. They did a great job this year consolidating it a bit to reduce it a manageable 1.5 hours (compared to 3-4 last year). Each of the classes (through grade 4) performed a short number with the school orchestra doing songs in between. Don't let the words school orchestra fool you. . . . these kids are unreal talented. They seriously sounded like professionals up there. Their music teacher is an extremely gifted musician, and it shows. It's the best school orchestra I've ever heard!

Getting ready. Would you believe the younger girls dresses are on their third Christmas? And Emily's skirt is on it's second. Probably my all time favorite Christmas outfits.

Blue eyed beauties.

Hannah's class combined with the Nursery class to perform "Welcome Christmas" from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. They ordered these super colorful, huge costumes and the kids looked so cute as little Whos. Hannah was so excited to perform and had been practicing for weeks. She was most excited to stand by her buddy Macyn. Poor Macyn lost her hat just as the song started and never recovered. . . she cried through the entire thing. Sweet Hannah kept trying to help her, but it was a lost cause. They were seriously so cute, though!

Hannah and Macyn

Poor Macyn!

Emily's class teamed up with the second grade to perform the song "The Reindeer Twist," complete with reindeer costumes! They were a ton of fun to watch. The only bummer was the kids were grouped on stage such that we couldn't see Emily from our seats! Tyler kept recording, and mostly got footage of Emily's best friend for her family. Finally I hopped up and ran over to try to get a few pictures.

Reindeer Emily

I realized how tall she is looking at this picture. . . .

Emily and her best friend Tuscany

Madeline really enjoyed the show. . . especially the orchestra. She is a dancer and a lover of music. And she has parents with good taste. . . her favorite song hands down was the Beatle's "Oh Bla Di Oh Bla Da." She was getting her little groove one to the quality music. I personally like the break on the video when she tries to use the stage as a resting spot for her sippy cup. She also squeezes in a round of her new game, "guess where my hand went?" Then she discovers the iPod and goes for a round of Dora. She's pretty busy. . . .

Tutu Cute

Madeline picked her own outfit this morning. First she wanted the pink tutu. I insisted on pants underneath, after all it is quite cold. Then she insisted on pairing her outfit with a bright yellow monkey shirt. Three monkeys to be exact, which she has to count whenever she wears it. Then she spent the morning toting around a baby doll, her current love in life. When she saw me grab the camera to download some pictures she insisted on a "cheese" and honestly when she's this cute who can say no? This little girl is getting so big, and so independent, and so beautiful. What happened to my baby Maddie?!

And this was us playing with the new video camera that was a surprise early birthday present. It's nothing fancy, but we're more picture people than video. It's fun to have something to catch the cute moments live, though! Maddie has a happy dance that we find endearing, and I was trying to capture her doing it!

Trimming the Tree

In keeping with our family tradition, we took advantage of the girls having the day after Thanksgiving off of school to decorate the tree. I love Christmas, I love Christmas trees, I love having the house decorated and feeling warm, I love holiday baking, I love holiday entertaining. I really just love this time of year. So the earlier the start the better . . . though I do make myself wait until we have properly celebrated Thanksgiving first.

Our tree is nothing spectacular. It's not trendy, or gorgeous, or going to be featured on the cover of Martha Stewart, but to me it is perfect, it is our family, and it represents so much, and so many memories. Our tree is filled with ornaments from my childhood . . . my first Christmas ornament, the start I made from clay in Kindergarten, the ornaments my mom added to my collection each year of my childhood. When we got married my mom boxed up all the ornaments and sent them to us, where they adorned our first tree. And then we started adding to our tree. The star tree topper, the seals in a box that say first Christmas together, the tiny bells we purchased in East Timor, the ornaments marking each of our daughters' first Christmas, the beautiful clay fish ornaments from Barbados. Each year we add to our tree and we enjoy the special memories each ornament represents as we put it on this year. When Emily was two, and going through a Dora phase we chose the Dora ornament for her. When Hannah turned two it was her favorite, and this year it was the object of Maddie's affection. I love the memories that each of these special ornaments holds. So though it might lack in sophistication, each year I treasure the memories that we celebrate when we decorate our tree.

This has to be one of the goofiest family pictures ever. First there is Emily and Tyler, looking identically goofy. . . must be in the genes. Then there is Maddie with her necklace and one shoe, very classy. Then there is me, feeling sick and pregnant. Then there is Hannah who looks a bit like she has to pee. Seriously awesome, each and every one.