My Daily Naan: Merry Christmas to ALL

I had a GREAT Christmas! The festivities started Christmas Eve night. I tried to carry on as many of my normal traditions as possible so I had a candlelight dinner complete with cheese, summer sausage (special treat), and rotel with real tortilla chips. Then D and I read the Christmas story as well some of the prophecies from Isaiah that spoke about his coming. Finally, in true Watts tradion, we watched It's A Wonderful Life. I'm not sure if D is as big a fan of the movie as I am but I assured her it was a must on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning got off to a great start as I was able to skype with my parents, sister, brother, sister-in-law, and beautiful nieces. Then D and I had a lavish breakfast - Swedish pancakes, fruit, and scrambled eggs. Yum. Then we opened presents. As you can tell from the pictures, there was plenty of stuff under our tree and in our stockings. I am so blessed. Not because I received so many gifts but because so many different people went to the trouble of buying, wrapping, and sending gifts halfway across the globe! We spent the rest of the day with some of our dearest friends. I am always blessed when I spend time with this family, and Christmas day was no different. We listened to some JP while we ate lunch and sang carols around the table. After lunch we watched The Nativity Story, played cards, opened more presents, visited, ordered Chinese for dinner, and then capped the day off with some pecan pie made with pecans leftover from Thanksgiving. I ended the day by skyping with my Frazier family.
This Christmas marked the first time I was away from my family for the holidays. And I confess I was homesick at times, but I also spent a large part of the month being thankful for the opportunity to experience the season in a different way. This Christmas, being away from my mom and missing her, I wondered if Mary was lonely for her mother that first Christmas night. This Christmas, while sharing the story with a girl who was hearing it for the first time, I was reminded that all of us are supposed to be like the shepherds spreading the news of His birth. This Christmas, celebrating in a land where the majority of people rely on works and ritual worship and prayer as a means of salvation, I am reminded of the good news of great joy the angels declared for ALL people. This Christmas I am thankful that my Savior's birth can and should be celebrated in every country all around the world.

Merry Christmas!

As a special Christmas treat, my bird friend flew around the world for a visit.

D and I are spoiled. We each had 3 stockings!!!

Check out all the loot!

Mom sent us cool new shades. Thanks Mom!

My parents got D a new travel thermos. Now she can drink her tea on the go.

We each gave the other a new shawl for Christmas. It was so cold in our house Christmas morning so I wrapped up all the way in mine. This picture makes it look like I'm just a floating head!