Christmas here was different from what I was used to but it was a lot of fun and family time, too!
First, it already begins right after Thanksgiving. All of the people started putting out their decorations and lights to get in christmas mood. We haven't had much snow though, unfortunately.
Usually chistmas takes place on the 25th in this country but since everybody in this family would have their own christmases we have started christmas already on december 24th. The presents for everybody were already laying next to the artificial christmas tree since the middle of december. Judy just likes to get everything done as soon as possible. But it was still a little weird for me.
What I have really missed here are the German Christmas Markets, the weekends of baking christmas cookies with my family (especially with my mom) and the advents calendars everywhere.
The weeks before we got off school were very crazy. All the finals had to be written before christmas; in every single subject in one week. Most of the time I have had 2 finals in one day. Very dumb in my opinion.
The week after finals and before christmas I had spent at the Brown's. I really enjoyed my time with them. They are very nice people. Jacob really loves when we have time to play board games and I do, too!
On the 24th The Hancock's and me had a Christmas brunch together and after that we unwrapped the presents, each at a time. For Ben it was of course more about the presents and Santa but for me it was mostly about family and being together. Of course unwrapping presents around noon with no christmas story to listen to was unusual for me but a new and interesting experience. During the evening everybody gathered at Susan's and John's house and we played some very fun games!
The game in the beginning was a game where everybody had out some money in the pod and we gambled to get it.
The second game was the "unwrap-the-saran-wrap-blindfolded"-game. I didn't get anything that was wrapped inside the ball but it was still fun to watch everybody.
The last game was Bingo and you could've won some random prizes that were brought and wrapped by the adults.
It was a fun evening and very warm!
On a drive through several neighborhoods around here:
A completely lit up house that looks like a big gingerbread house ... xo
Baking vegan Sugar Cookies! The way I made them was pretty delicious! Later I put strawberry jam in between them: Mmmm!
I allowed myself to have a manicure in some Christmas colors
Judy and me decorated the house pretty early; about 3 weeks before Christmas!
The presents laid under the tree even 2 weeks before Christmas ...
Jacquie and me on Christmas eve morning before the Christmas Brunch. (At Judy's)
Daddy showing his youngest, Ben, how to drive this nice toy car.
Susan, unpacking one of her presents and Judy, already searching for the next gift to someone.
Kathy's idea from thanksgiving transferred to a Christmas version ...
That took a lot of effort, whew! :o
But it was delicious!
I just won 36 dollars from one game that we played at Susan's on Christmas eve! That was so surprising and so much fun!
I became a gambling person here ... haha xD
(The cards were a Bingo price)
Kommentar schreiben
Raphael (Mittwoch, 03 Februar 2016 21:10)
Ach, sehe ich ja jetzt erst.
Du scheinst dich echt gut integriert zu haben und hast auch coole Leute um dich (Früchtebaum =D).
Was habt ihr denn gespielt? Und inwiefern war dieses Weihnachten eine andere Erfahrung?
Grüße aus Mainz!
Jeanmarie Meteer (Donnerstag, 29 September 2016 03:57)
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