First Filipino Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Philippines

I couldn't resist snapping this photo the last time we stopped for gas. Nothing says 'Happy Holidays' like a heavily armed guard with a Santa cap on. For some odd reason, this scene was very humorous to me.

We enjoyed our first Christmas in the Philippines. It was small & intimate with just our little family of 5, but there is really never a dull moment with 3 young kids in the house. The kids had a wonderful Christmas, which is all I wanted. I was a bit depressed leading up to the actual day, due to the fact that this would be our very first Christmas with just our immediate family. We are always with so much extended family during the holidays, so I was nervous about how to celebrate on our very own. Sounds strange when I type it out, but it's how I felt. It ended up being a nice celebration, so I am very thankful for that.

On Sunday evening, we invited some friends over for popcorn & karaoke. All the kids sang every Christmas carol known to man. They had a blast! Then, on Monday, we took the kiddos to see The Polar Express in 3D at the IMAX theater. It was awesome!! It seems as if that movie was created especially to be viewed in 3D. We all loved it! Then, I attempted to go grocery shopping. What a nightmare! What in the world was I thinking?! Monday evening, Sam & the kids prepared a festive table full of hors d'oeuvres while I ran to the corner store to grab some sodas. When I came home, they had Christmas music playing, candles lit & a table full of yummy goodies. It was just what I needed to kick start my Christmas attitude. We decided it was the perfect time to open our Christmas Eve gift. We ended the evening with hot cocoa & our traditional viewing of A Christmas Story. After the kids put out cookies & milk for Santa, they happily climbed into bed anxiously awaiting the fun Christmas morning would bring. But, Sam & I stayed up until midnight to watch the spectacular fireworks show we had heard so much about. You could look out any window in our apartment in any direction & see several different firework shows. They were everywhere! And, they were beautiful! It was incredible. Finally, the kids woke Sam & I up in the morning begging us to get out of bed! They were precious!

We had a great morning & a fun day playing with new toys. You can check out the Christmas video on our photo site to see the kids enjoying their loot.

Slowly, but surely, we are learning to make this tropical country our new home. Spending our first Christmas here helped to seal the deal in my mind. It was rough at first, but ended up going well.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas celebration as well. And, happy new year!