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.