Perfect Christmas!



Every year it looks the same but every ornament has a memory :)

Skyping with Bear

Dad opening his gift from Greg

Grandma with scarf from Russia

The card reads something about an adorable face...the reference being to Greg's and Bean's

Apparently the date stamp of my camera is off a day...ha.ha. Opening gifts from Russia and Owen opening gift from Gregory. Our boys are generous and thoughtful!

Christmas Day!
We skyped with Barrett at 8 a.m.  He wanted to take a tour of the house and then we talked about all kinds of random things....it was perfect except, next time, we definitely get Grandma up and over here...even though it was early, I know she was awake at her house waiting for us to pick her up.  We recorded the call.  I have already listened to it again and will do so again and again.  It was so fun to laugh together.  He was soooooo Barrett!  He showed us the view the the senior couple's apartment.  They overlook the river and on the other side is one of the seven sisters which is a name that english speakers have given seven buildings in Moscow that Stalin had built that are beautiful.  Funny we looked them up and they seem very functional and mundane in their use, the one by the river is an apartment building, but they architechture is gothic and they looks castle or cathedral like.  It was lit up for the evening and a cruise ship was lit and passing by and the scene was quite beautiful. 

After our call, I went and picked up mom and we had Christmas breakfast and skyped with Gwyne.  It was 10 pm in Kuwait and way past their bedtime so we didn't talk to Alan until the next morning for him which actual Christmas night for us.  We talked to them in our morning, then they went to bed and we did all of Christmas and we skyped again when it was their Monday morning and mom was still here at the house and ready to go home from a lovely Christmas....wild. 

After breakfast we went to church.  I LOVE when Christmas falls on a Sunday and we go to church.  It really makes the day very special. Owen and I were asked to narrate the program and we did pretty good.  Owen's first line made him nervous and he had to start over but after that it went well. Greg and mom came.  Mom said it was a nice program and I was glad Greg got a chance to see so many people at church who love him.

 After church we started dinner.  Mom bought a Raley's dinner in a box which turned out great since our ignitor for the oven went out the day before and no one was open on Christmas eve to get the part.  We improvised by using the broiler setting and covered the food with foil.  For some things it worked, for others, not so much :)  The Mackey's came by after church to receive their Russian gifts.  Oh I might say that Barrett told us that he had to borrow a suitcase from his companion to make his first transfer!  That boy is in trouble...he is already collecting to much stuff.  He is a p-day shopoholic I fear.  He said that we will have to come pick him up from Moscow so he can have three more suitcases to fill... scary! 

We opened presents and had a really generous Christmas all things considered.

Dinner was quite good and the best was that Brandon called during it!  He said he was going to see if he could get permission from his mission president to call us too.  He did and so he was able to briefly talk with us.  That was very nice!  He sounded great.  Every food he told us about was delicious :)  There was one food that he avoided so it could be that if he doesn't think he will like it, he doesn't eat it, but he seems to really like a lot of them!  He seems to love the people and he is doing what needs to be done.  He is driving a four wheel drive truck...awesome! 

He sent us a card with some pictures in it.  He looks really good and sounds happy.