Christmas is coming!

I'm so excited about the rapidly approaching holiday season! I can't believe it is coming so fast. Last year we were in Thailand, and the holidays looked quite a bit different than usual, especially since the Thais don't recognize Thanksgiving or Christmas as being different than any other normal day. The holidays were still fun and meaningful...and I'm so happy that I'll always have those memories. It was really hard to be away from family, though. I'm a big "traditions" person and our traditions also looked a little different. Here are a few pics from the holidays in Thailand.

I almost died of heat exhaustion (no a/c in our kitchen +gas stove+100 degree weather=not a good atmosphere for cooking!) making a casserole and homemade rolls for our team Thanksgiving dinner


Thanksgiving dinner - Thai style:)

Celebrating Loy Kratong Festival with two of my favorite Thais

During Loy Kratong, the Thais send these lanterns into the sky in an effort to get rid of troubles/sins in their lives. Our Christian Thai friends don't believe this, but because it's such a big part of their culture they go to the festival and have lots of fun!

Our stockings (mine, my sisters, Jon's) and gifts


Our very humble Christmas tree. It was really just a potted plant, but I think we made it pretty festive!
My sweet husband on Christmas morning (your wish list changes just a bit when you're living overseas:)
The "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake I made for our team Christmas to carry on the tradition from Christmas at my Grandma's

We rounded out the Christmas holiday by spending a few days in the village with our Thai friends
For a Christmas Village outreach we presented the Jesus film - this cute little baby showed up to watch!

All loaded up for the 4 hour drive to the village!

Jon participating in street aerobics with the villagers. This is the kind of thing you have to love about Thailand:)

We went to church before we left the village. After church, they had lunch and an auction and some of our team bid on and won this chicken! Ha! Again, only in Thailand. In the picture is our teammate Tricia and my sister (right).

There was lot more to the holiday season than I could show you here, but those are a few of my more vivid memories. Probably the only Christmas on which Jon and I will go to the post office at 8 am Christmas morning in shorts and a tshirt to get packages from family...and then them not be there! I have a video of this, but I currently can't find it. Anyway.

I started thinking about Christmas today because I really want to start decorating our apartment soon. We don't have very many decorations, so I thought it would be really fun to make some. I want them to look classy, not so much homemade. Does anybody have any ideas??