Things I Loved During Our 1st Costa Rican Christmas Season

December 30th, 2012 in Beauty in Everyday

Our first Costa Rican was laid back, hot, meaningful, full of happy tears, some sad tears, silly worries, fun, new friends, lots of skype sessions, yummy food, special moments, and moments of CHILDREN YOU ARE ALL DRIVING ME CRAZY—all rolled into one.

Actually the kids were really good. I just have noticed every Christmas Eve when it is time to take a picture of them in their matching pjs it turns out to be the laziest picture. Because by the end of Christmas Eve it takes everything in me to keep a sweet voice and not start snapping. Aren’t all moms just so tired and worn down by that time? But compared to other years they were so sweet and well behaved. I also know this is because of a new behavioral chart I put together. I will have to tell you about that later.

The Christmas season was full of skype sessions with family back home. Skype is such a blessing and a curse. Blessing—it’s free and you get to talk to sweet family back home. Curse–everyone can see how tired you look, can see you swatting your children away and giving them nasty looks. I have come to the conclusion that there is no hope for me to have an adult conversation with anyone back home. Also, my husband is a Skype hogger, and if he is on the call as well, I might as well just be out of the room. So basically Skype is a blessing for everyone but me—I’ll just stick with email.

The Christmas season was also full of teaching art classes to kids at the library, fun crafts at home, making new friends, plans falling through with new friends because the holiday season is crazy for everyone in the world! But some plans going through and having a lot of fun with them. We met this wonderful family who own a chapel out here and put on a huge Christmas party for the children. Children who need to have some fun, receive a present, and just have a day worry-free and feeling special. We helped out just a teeny tiny bit by being in charge of the craft table. It was such a neat event!

In our branch we spent the season getting to know the members more. I fall more in love with our branch every week, boy are we lucky to be a part of it. We gave Christmas to two families who needed it. That was a beautiful, humbling experience that bonded us even more as a family. I will have to blog more on that later, but here is a quick picture of the girls showing one of the kids how to unwrap her gift:

At the farmers market they had CHRISTMAS TREES, man it came at the perfect time, when I just needed a tiny pick me up. And this was it. We took it home and covered it in our homemade ornaments and $1 lights.

This little Santa was passed down to me by my mom. Every year Santa would be on one of our gifts and it meant…I don’t know it just meant something just extra special. Other than our stockings this is the only other decoration I brought, so it stayed on top of our tree.

Of course you have to decorate sugar cookies. All I have to say is it took a pretty BRAVE Santa to bite into these….cookies.

Christmas Eve we got in our new pjs, received our new ornaments (candy canes made out of dyed salt dough), and acted out the Nativity. Shae is the little sister and got the last pick, being Joseph. The girls worked hard all day to get their stuffed animals ready for Christmas by creating elf and Santa hats for them.

I even tried to make it “snow” aka snowflakes on the fan.

Christmas morning was perfect, I felt like finally (after a night of worrying I had not) mastered the art of “just enough.”

We ended our Christmas with going to the beach.

Such a beautiful Costa Rican Christmas.

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