Christmas Greetings 2014

 We all had a lot of fun one hot, sunny, Sunday afternoon staging this picture to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2015!






By the time the photo was taken, the water in the kiddie pool had reached a lukewarm temperature and half the ice cream in our cups had been eaten or melted, but we got a kick out of demonstrating the difference in the weather we experience here from our home of Pennsylvania!




As you can see, it's mighty difficult to get everyone truly smiling at the same time, but such is this phase of life!






Although there are differences between our Christmas celebrations in Malawi and PA, there are similarities as well....here are a few...

Walking through the Advent Season

same = Each Sunday approaching Christmas, we light a candle and remember God's promises and people leading up to Christ's birth through reading related stories in the Bible.

different = We didn't use an Advent wreath this year, but lanterns and nativity pieces.

Our Christmas Tree

same = We have one

different = It's fake :( 

Christmas Cookie Baking!

  same = We still make the same paintbrush cookies Becky made, growing up

FOOD

 

same = We eat at Christmas! I make my annual purchase of Philly cream cheese (when it turns up in the store) and freeze it (even though the package says not to) to bring out on Dec 24th to make a favorite German recipe for Christmas called Spiral Fruit Buns.

different = Enjoying LOTS of fresh mangoes (at dirt cheap prices) and pineapples, both just coming into season for Christmas each year.

same = We eat meat at Christmas...

different = It took three chickens to fill my small(!) roaster pan this year.  No 30-pound turkeys (or chickens) here, folks!!!  They were (all) delicious, though :)

same = We built gingerbread houses with some friends, amounting to more candy consumed than used for decorating and more icing bag squirting into mouths (when parents aren't looking) than landed on houses.  All very fun, though!

different = We made them from scratch.  If you're wondering, it takes 3-4 days to do such a crazy thing:
Day 1 - make dough and chill overnight, at least
Day 2 - bake pieces, let rest
Day 3 - construct houses allowing a few hours between walls and roof installation
Day 4 - DECORATE!!!

I dare say, we may pick up a kit to make next year when we're in PA!

Celebrating Jesus' Birth

Still getting lots of mileage out of the Fisher Price nativity set...
notice the dog and man with cell phone babysitting baby Jesus...
I guess some of the pieces didn't come with the original set :)

 same =  At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the hope of our salvation!

different = The weather is hot, we have a LOT of rain, everything is green outside (not white) and we really miss our family back home....BUT none of that can change our reason for celebrating!