Christmas 2010-Goodbye Okinawa

Well, it's our last Christmas on Okinawa. It's weird to think actually. I decided I needed to make new stockings for the kids considering the last ones I made were in 2004 at a Super Saturday enrichment activity in my Cleveland Branch (Ben hadn't been born yet, but I made him one anyway. Little did I know that I needed to make ones for the girls too). I like how they turned out especially since I didn't follow a pattern or anything.

The 3rd Dental Battalion Christmas Party. They had tons of crafts and pizza as usual. Here's our pic with Santa. The kids asked for 1. Legos 2. Hot Wheels and 3. Barbies. Next, Mattel donated some toys for military kids. Unbeknownst to us or them, they got 1. Legos 2. Hot Wheels and 3. Barbie. So much for downplaying the Santa thing. They thought it was totally cool that what they had JUST ASKED FOR was then what they opened.

We had the missionaries over for dinner. This was a special treat for us because they used to only be able to go over to the Japanese houses, but they can now do military houses. It was nice to have them in our home, especially since Rob's little brother Josh is on a mission in LA and it made me think of him.

I made 6 batches of cookies (because I participated in a cookie exchange). The kids and Rob were wonderful enough to help me decorate them. This is a fun tradition I have every year with the kids and they LOVE IT!



We hosted our first Christmas party with friends. The theme was an ugly sweater party and the Quackenbush's won hands down with these amazing little numbers that Alicia made. Stellar. If you must know, they are wearing reindeer antlers.



Christmas Eve--new pajamas acting out the nativity with their puppets. I made those for a Super Saturday enrichment once too.

A sweet man in the branch makes the perfect Santa. He asked if he could come around on Christmas Eve and visit a few families. We were lucky enough to be one of them. Imagine to the kids wonderment (5 minutes after we tucked them in) Santa appearing at the door (with bells). They were totally in awe. Ben was brutally honest about his behavior because you can't lie to Santa after all. They were awestruck. After he left and they went back to their rooms we caught Ben looking out his window for Santa's sleigh. We walked into his room just in time to hear him say, "What the heck! Santa's riding in a CAR?"


Christmas morning all lined up ready to run downstairs and check out the loot.

Opening their stockings. This is BEFORE it got chaotic. I think those crossbows were a hit and we got them for a dollar in China.