Hi, Everyone!
Between getting ready for Bill-kun and Karin-chan’s visit and Steven and Kara’s wedding AND Christmas, it’s been a very busy week! After Grandma and Grandpa fixed up the front bedroom with bunk beds for Bill-kun and Karin-chan, I checked out the ladder to make sure everything was set. I hope Bill-kun and Karin-chan will enjoy sleeping here!
Right after I helped Grandma and Grandpa with the bedroom, Bill-kun and Karin-chan’s piano arrived. This time it didn’t have to fly through the air on a crane, but it was exciting to see it come out of the truck on a snowy Sunday and get set up in the living room. Grandma says it’s a good thing this house has a big living room, because Grandma’s piano is in there, too!
When Uncle Steven came, he put the lights on the Christmas tree. That’s another family tradition. I was a good helper! I climbed way up so I could make friends with the star on the very top of the tree. Then I helped Grandma put the ornaments on the tree. Grandma got a lot of new ornaments this year while she was taking me on adventures. Grandpa didn’t think we could get all the new ones and all the old ones of the tree, but Grandma and I managed to do it. It was fun to see my turtle friend from Hawaii again, and I was really excited to meet a moose ornament that Grandma and Grandpa have had for a long time.
The day after we decorated the tree, I helped Grandma and Grandpa with their holiday bread party. Grandma bakes stollen in the shape of Christmas trees and invites a lot of friends to come have soup and coffee and choose a stollen to take home. Nancy-san and Joe-san brought Moose-san to the party, and I got to see Grandma Sue and Papa Dick-san, too! The Christmas tree looked really nice for the party.
The Christmas eve service at Grandma and Grandpa’s church was way past my bedtime, so I didn’t get to go. But on Christmas morning, I got up early to help Grandma make croissants for breakfast. That’s another Christmas tradition. I brushed the risen dough with egg wash before it went in the oven, so it would come out with a shiny brown crust. Then I helped Grandpa make fresh-squeezed orange juice. Didn’t I do a good job on the croissants? Uncle Steven really liked them!
Then we opened our Christmas presents. Grandma Sue and Papa Dick-san gave us some holiday candle holders. Grandma says we can use them for our party on New Years Eve. There were lots of gifts that will be yummy to eat — olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pasta — and Grandma got a cookbook of Thai street food to get ready for our next adventure after Uncle Steven and Kara’s wedding. After we opened our presents, we got to see Bill-kun and Karin-chan open their presents on Skype.
After dinner, Kara came over and we ate our traditional apple pie Christmas dessert and opened more presents with her. Grandma and Grandpa gave her a new cookbook from church that has a lot of Grandma’s recipes in it. Then I helped Steven and Kara play Rock Star.
Today, Sunday, was the end of our busy holiday week. Uncle Steven went to church with Kara and her mom. Harlan brought his family over to visit and I showed Katie where to find my blog on her Blackberry. Christmas is a special time for families and friends to be together, and I’m really happy I’ve had so many chances this week to share Christmas.
Love,
Lion-san