Exploring days: Christmas

Hey there!

Christmas is over now, and we already started to pack away all the christmas decoration ,so we don't have to do it when we come back from Seattle next week.

I spent Monday and Tuesday wrapping the last Christmas presents, writing cards and being in a stage of excitement for my first Christmas away from home. Ruby and Iris played Christmas songs on the piano while Christine and I baked some more Christmas cookies. I made a bunch of "Linzertorten" to give away for Christmas and just for us to eat.

On Tuesday Christine's parents arrived with two people from Costa Rica, so the house was full, festive and chaotic.

On Christmas Eve, we went to Jim´s sister and her family to celebrate Christmas Cve with all the cousins and the family. I've met them on Thanksgiving, so we already knew each other.

Jim's parents are Swedish, so we had a Swedish meal with rye bread, pickled hering, beet- salad, meatballs and flatbread. It was different from the Christmas dinner in Germany, because it wasn't as decadent, but it still was really good.

After dinner we played a game called "White Elephant". Everybody brought a present and then the first person has to pick a present and unwrap it. The second person can either steal the present or pick a new one, and so on. We didn't have valuable gifts, because it was more a just- for- fun game. I ended up with pineapple juice, that was pretty cool in my eyes.

We drove home and we all went to bed, excited what will be under the tree when we wake up.

And finally, Christmas morning was here! I skyped with my family and then went downstairs to see what was waiting for me in my stocking. Everybody else was awake waiting for me, so we could unwrap our presents.

First, we opened our stockings. We all had some little treasures in it. and it was kind of a warm- up, like Christine said. Then we all went to the Christmas tree to attend to the real business. Iris had a Santa- hat, so she was the one to pick presents for everybody. I got some new clothes, and shoes, jewelery, decoration for my room, some food and I also got a package from home.

I am very glad, because everybody seems to like the presents I gave them.

In the afternoon, Jim's nephew and his wife came over and we ate more cookies, and played some Wii. It kinda felt like I was at my grandparents, because we always spent Christmas day with them and play Wii to burn all the calories from the food.

I have two treasure boxes now, full of cards, pictures and little presents from friends, my family in Germany and my family here,plus some really cute stationary, so I can write letters and cards.

The next days I spent cleaning my room, doing some homework, making posters for my basketball buddy and just hanging around. Next week on Tuesday we will go to Seattle, to spend New Year´s with Christine's best friend and her family. I am very excited to see Seattle, even though the car ride is about 6 hours (I know that's not super long for American standards, but you can drive halfway through Germany in 6 hours...)

I hope, all of you had wonderful holidays with your family and friends, and you're all doing great!!

Kisses, Malin