Christmas week

Christmas Week was filled with time with friends, rainbows, making cookies and eggnog, and fun family time. 

Wood headed out for his first surf at Pantai 

Making nature soup with my fav gal pals

Sleep Over Party with the Up in the Hill Crew

Homemade Pizzas

rainy morning tent making

festive hand whipped eggnog

We are a family of snugglers and cuddlers and kissers and huggers.  My heart over flows with gratitude at the unconditional love that surrounds me almost every second of the day.  

 

 

last round with our homemade all natural dyes for our Christmas cookies. 

Eve of Christmas Eve, Woody suggested watching the Grinch by candlelight. 
Great idea, buddy.  Love it. 

We woke up Christmas Eve with all of our friends in our bed.  Space was tight but our hearts were full.  

Another rainbow! I know it looks the same but its a different day, I swear! haha

helping prep for Christmas Eve dinner

a little yoga before a big meal

snuggled up in new jammies and ready for Santa!

Merry Christmas to ALL, and to all a good night. Also, check out that sweet unicorn Santa brought for Francie. 

A new taekwondo belt

Staying focused before his exam

Older kids took a written and oral exam and younger kids just an oral exam. Woody took the studying seriously.  He can count to ten in Korean and he know the names of certain equipment/stances in Korean and the principles of Taekwondo.  I was very proud of how serious he took the exam.  

Woody passed his exams
and received his next belt! 

After the presentation of belts, the instructor presented a special award of "meyor examen" and Woody received it for his belt group! He was so surprised and proud, and so were we! 

We went out to lunch with some friends from class to celebrate 

Manu's mom zoomed in and captured these two cuties during a part of the physical exam. So serious! So cute! 

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas!

We are staying in Panama this year for the holidays.  At first, we were a bit disappointed to not be going home to see family and friends and enjoy awesome food and drink and Christmas lights and real Christmas trees and slightly cooler weather. . . but since Decemeber has arrived, we have really embraced Christmas in the Caribbean.  The kids make all holidays just awesome, no matter where we are.  We made a cool driftwood Christmas tree and we are planning on making some more jungle/ocean decorations for the tree.  We are making adjustments to perfect homemade natural dyes for decorating Christmas cookies.  We decorated our stairs with candy cane colored lights and I am going to order some actual candy canes from Panama City.  We are watching Christmas movies, making hot chocolates, and singing Christmas carols! We are in the spirit! 

warming up our dough rolling skills with some tortillas.  No matter the season, everyone loves taco night. 

Christmas haircut and a shave

 

getting our driftwood Christmas tree organized

Conor asked me if we were gonna rearrange the lights after the kids went to bed but we decided they look fabulous as is.  

first batch of Christmas cookies

working on our homemade natural dyes for the cookies.  We need a strong red and green.  We've got an awesome purple and blue. . . not exactly Christmas colors haha

cookie decorating!
the homemade dyes need a little work.  I need to make them more concentrated.  They kids are more than willing to make another round of cookies. haha

We wrote letters to Santa.  Woody has been working on being a bit nicer to Tohi and I say things like "I keep hinting that you should use a nicer voice but you don't seem to be changing it.  The change in behavior needs to come from within" or something like "I'm noticing a change in behavior, Woody! and I like it! Thank you!"

"I have been changing" 
Too funny! I guess he has been listening! haha

Tohi, at 3 1/2 years old, is just Christmas gold right now.  She has been off the charts sweet and funny and cute and just magical.  Her letter to Santa she dictated to me and it reads:
Happy Santa,
I know you are the best toy maker.  I hope you bring presents and Christmas trees to all the families and to all the houses.  Have good days.  Make toys and have presents. 
Love, 
Tohi.  Happy Tohi. 
 I know you are the best, Santa.  
Happy Santa.  

Making Stockings!