Brown-Eyed Girl: Mele Kalikimaka!

[photo cred: Lille Kunz]

This was our very first Christmas we spent without family. While we missed them, it was still nice, and we managed to keep busy! We had lots of parties and other Christmas fun right here on the island!

[photo cred: Lille Kunz]

We got a brand new tree that is ten million times nicer than our old one, and it made me smile every time I saw it! When we first opened up the box, Dan said it looked just like the old one. If you know Dan, you know he probably said this just to get me worked up, but then we (of course!) had to put them side by side for a comparison. So we had a Christmas tree forest in our house for a day or two. Then we set them up and decorated them and enjoyed them all month. The girls especially liked having their very own tree in the playroom that they got to decorate all by themselves. (Ok, Mom helped hang some of the ornaments where they couldn't reach.) They also enjoyed rearranging the ornaments allllllll December. But it was fine because it distracted them from the new tree and the more breakable ornaments.

London and I had fun decorating the chalkboard with a few different Christmas messages. She loved coming up with new things to add. I hope this is something we can keep doing, because I think everyone had a great time.

Miss London also was able to serenade us the Christmas classic, "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth," because she lost BOTH of hers this month! I love this toothless grin, but I'm not sure it will be here for too much longer, since the new teeth are growing in fast!

Soooo many (too many!) Christmas treats were made! We shared most of them with friends and neighbors, and the girls loved helping when they could.

Biscotti and hot chocolate. Perfect December Breakfast!

Dan and I also celebrated SEVEN YEARS of marriage this month! What the what! He had the morning off, and our wonderful, amazing, so-glad-she-is-my-friend Joy, watched the girls for us! (Thank you!!) We went to breakfast at one of our favorite local joints, Koa Pancake House. Here's a picture of my Macadamia nut waffles with coconut syrup, and breakfast potatoes, and Portuguese sausage on the side. YUM!

December isn't quite complete without one or two Christmas parties! We were able to attend the DENTAC party (the dental army unit). It was fun to meet and visit with some of Dan's coworkers and enjoy some yummy traditional Hawaiian food. And candy canes. My children are of the opinion you can never have too many candy canes at Christmas time.

I didn't take too many pictures at our church party this year, but it was so fun! It was Polar Express themed, so everyone went in their jammies. There was sooo much to eat, fun games, hot chocolate, and of course, Santa Claus!

North Pole centerpieces I made for the party.

Christmas Eve we went caroling with some of our neighbor friends, the Morgans! We had so much silly fun, and we even earned a plate of cookies and $15! (I have never in my life had people give me money for caroling, but the kids LOVED it.) Hope we can do it again next year!

Kiddos knocking on a door.

Alyssa and I with the spoils!

We also had run out of Christmas treats, and so we needed to make more for Santa! Once Santa was taken care of, we had our traditional tamales for Christmas Eve dinner. We got them from Costco this year, so I was a little skeptical, but y'all, THEY ARE SO GOOD! And super and dangerously easy to make. After our dinner we opened up our Christmas jammies, watched a movie, and went to bed.

The gingerbread house proved to frustrating to construct, so London used it to make candy pictures.

YUM.

Not a creature was stirring...

And in case you were worried, turns out the girls made the nice list this year. They were so excited to open up all the Elena of Avalor gear they had asked for. Santa Claus didn't realize that half the things they asked for sing Elena's theme song, and now it is stuck in everyone's head. Oops.

It would have been the perfect picture, except London decided to pick her nose...

My favorite present!!

Christmas Day was quiet and lazy. Everyone enjoyed opening their gifts, wearing their new Christmas dresses to a quick hour of church, and eating all the food! Merry Christmas, and God bless us, everyone!