A Few of My Favorite Things

Oh, I am SO excited for Christmas. We've had a really enjoyable couple of weeks now leading up to it, including a lovely visit with Shawn and Barb last week. We hosted them for dinner one night and went out to the Kona Brewery later in the week. The house looks great, though our poor tree is seeing it's final days: so brown and brittle, we will have to take it down soon over the weekend I fear. We've received a good number of beautiful Christmas cards, considering our recent change of address, and the photo cards hang around the pantry where I can enjoy the faces of my dearest each time I pass. How lucky we are!
Jake was an angel in his school pageant, where his class sang, "Happy Birthday Jesus." Chris took video, we'll see if he can get it loaded up for you all.
Yesterday we visited gigantic Ala Moana Center, to ride the Candy Cane Train and sit with Santa. At last, we found the REAL SANTA...Jake has no tolerance for removable facial hair, it turns out.
We're planning on Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna for Christmas Eve Dinner, and have invited our friend Sara and her two girls (same ages as our boys), whose husband is deployed, to dinner with us. After dinner we'll go looking for lights in Kaneohe and set out our sugar cookies for Santa. We'll do church on Christmas morning at Emmanuel, and then back to the Lloyds house for Christmas dinner. I think it's pretty much mandatory to enjoy the beach sometime during the day, though the water is probably a mite cold to swim. We might try our hands at a sandman, Frosty's gritty cousin. And of course lots of Skyping to all!! Merry Christmas, loved ones.

Here Comes the Holiday

We've had a busy couple of weeks and the holidays are officially here. We continue to enjoy our new surroundings immensely and spend much of the day outside, despite the dip in the temperatures of late. (Mind you, it is still impossibly beautiful, just cool enough for pants or a sweatshirt once the sun goes down.)
We had a lovely Thanksgiving with the Lloyds and several other families. The kids ate little and played much while the dads watched football and the wives all sampled the six pies that found their way to the dinner table! Earlier in the day we explored the botanical garden in the next town and fed the ducks, then ran from them when they tried to take Evan away.
Black Friday Belinda and I hit the stores from 5:30 to around noon. Wal-Mart was absolutely insane! Their were plasma screen TVs on every other cart and lines wrapped around the store. Made me realize why I skip Black Friday on the mainland. But, I was willing to try anything to help usher in the holiday spirit. Even if it was the angry, rude, and exhausted spirit...
This week we have two holiday parties scheduled: the first was Wednesday at the Hale Koa for all hands from HSL37. The food was great, and though we didn't score any of the huge prizes being given away we had a great time being out with the friends we've made so far. I wish I had someone take a photo of us, 'cause we were looking GOOD!
Tomorrow night is the wardroom party at the CO's house. The theme is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and I have yet to discern what that means for our attire...perhaps a photo will be in order there, too.
We've got our tree up here in the main room, and it is a beauty. We mixed in plumeria shaped lights with our standard whites and it is beautiful. Once I get our boxes off to the post office I can start wrapping the goodies for the boys to plump up the underside of the tree.
Shawn and Barb will be here a week from Sunday and then we will really have reason to celebrate: what a treat to have some family to share all of this heaven with!