Christmas Celebrations

The girls and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve together while David was flying back from the states.   I anxiously awaited his return late that night while the girls anticipated waking up Christmas morning to
Santa Daddy! 

Abigail was asked to read a portion of the Christmas story during the candlelight service.  She did a great job and is becoming such a confident young lady!

my two sweets

We had such fun putting a few surprises together for David for Christmas Day.  We made his mom's cheese strata (Ab's is grating the cheese and AA is "decrusting" the bread) and his grandmother's famous chocolate pie.  Two recipes that the our family loves and brings back sweet memories for David.

 Santa daddy and Mrs. Clause unpacked his sleigh (literally!) at about midnight Christmas Eve.  Bless his heart, he'd been on his sleigh for 24 hours...at least he had some cookies and milk to tide

him over a few hours.

 What did Santa bring???  FOOD!  These are just a few things we can't get here 

OR it's super expensive to get here.

Uh, oh...now ALL four us will have a camera addiction!!

 Christmas morning!

 Daddy's girl!

Abigail had her eye on this "owl pillow" for months.  She was slightly excited to get it! 
(and so was AA excited for her!)

Yippee...the camera I wanted!!!!

The girls gave each other ear "bugs" (as Audrey An calls them!).  Yes, you wouldn't think you'd neat much winter gear here, BUT it does get chilly on the motorbike!

Mini me : )

Look who else got something with an owl on it!

I made the famous chocolate pie as a surprise for my Santa Daddy...with a little help form Abigail. I must say...it turned out pretty good!

Might need to click to enlarge this picture, but it's one of my favorites of the day.  AA gave her daddy Tabasco (it's kinda the joke here, but he and all his co-workers carry bottles of this in their flight cases each day!).  Her note says, "I love you daddy.  Lev, AA"

Aren't they cute!!

Then...I surprised Audrey An with a skype date with her foster family!

I LOVE technology when it's cool stuff like this!!!  What a blessing to have contact with them....truly.  AA had really been missing them lately so I emailed her foster sister and asked if we could "talk" on either Christmas or the next day (AA's birthday).  We use a program that translates "real time"...totally cool!  We find out a little bit more about her life before "us" each time we talk.  It was a great Christmas present!

We "had Christmas" via skype with my family...almost felt like we were there!  I stress ALMOST.

We ended our wonderful day with reading the Christmas story and each of us sharing what our gift to

J esus was this year.  I have to say, Audrey An has a sensitive heart and was probably the most thoughtful of us all.  I just wonder what really goes on her little mind of hers!?!?  

We did celebrate Audrey An's birthday today...#SEVEN...wow.  I'm too tired to post those right now, and we're leaving town for a much needed and anticipated family get away.

Quick medical update:  I went to see "Dr. Wise" this morning.  He tweeked my oh-so-yummy (ahem!) tasting special "brew" and increased my steroid.  I've now been on the traditional chinese medicine for three weeks now.  I did really good the first two weeks, but I noticed a distinct difference this past week (meaning...felt weaker and rash has gotten worse again).  I'm contributing it to the decrease in steroid.  Not that I'm the doctor, but I do know my body.  I've been dropping it a little faster than before, and once I hit my dosage 1 1/2 weeks ago I started feeling this way.  SO...he's bumped it back up again.  It's not a significant increase, but hopefully enough to get the rash and weakness under control again.

SOOOOO excited about our little trip. I MUST get sleep now!  Nite nite!!