It Was Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Ok I know its way past Christmas, but I had to blog about what Christmas looked like for me this year.  I didn't get a white Christmas due to the fact that I am on a tropical island.  However, thanks to my grandma, it definitely felt like christmas.  I did really miss the Utah Christmas that I am used to.  I missed dressing up in winter wear, I missed putting my feet up laying by the fireplace and watching "White Christmas" and "Scrouge" (Christmas classics), I missed drinking hot chocolate when its snowing outside, I missed going to The Nutcracker at Capitol Theater, I missed seeing the lights at Temple Square, I missed  going to the MoTab Christmas concert, and I missed the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, I missed putting up MY Christmas decorations, and I missed my family and friends!  It was sad not having that this Christmas but I was open to starting new Christmas traditions and getting used to Christmas in a new place.

I think it was the first time I put ornaments on a Christmas tree while I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and sweating.  That was kind of odd, but it happened this year.  I spent about a week (yes a week) helping my grandma put up her Christmas decor.  My G-Ma goes ALL out for Christmas and when I say all out I mean 19 Christmas trees (8 big and 11 mini trees), two christmas villages, wreaths, and lights, and garlands, and other little decorations.  I have pictures of all the trees for you to see.  I just loved it!  Every corner you turn (literally every corner) there was a tree and some other kind of Christmas-y-ness.  It definitely felt like Christmas.  It took so long to put up because every ornament is wrapped in tissue paper or bubble wrap and in a box.  They are all collectible things from Hallmark so they each have their individual box.  Anyways take a look at the trees...

This tree is in my room, its the Precious Moments tree.  My aunt has a HUGE precious moment collection along with all these ornaments.

These are three of the mini trees as you walk up the stairs.  It took forever to put up these ornaments because they are so tiny and they each have their own box as well.

This is the moving tree in the front room, all the ornaments on this tree move and/or make sounds.  Its a loud tree!

These are some of the ornaments on the tree, they both spin

The Christmas decor on the piano

This is the Santa tree (one of the mini trees).  This and the next tree are on each side of the TV

The snowman tree (another mini tree) with the family of snow people surrounding the tree.  My Gma loves snow people

Noah's Arc tree on the coffee table

This is one of the precious moment displays on the wet bar 

A close up of the little nativity in the corner

The Disney tree as you come in the front door, its a rotating tree, that's why its kind of blurry

Then you turn the corner and go down a few stairs and see the Barbie tree.  I love the topper its Barbie on a carousel horse going in circles. 

This is the big tree in the downstairs family room.  This year it was the blue snow people tree and next year it will be the red snow people tree. 

As you can see there is tinsel on the tree, Gma puts each individual tinsel on the whole tree then takes it off and saves it every year.  Talk about lots of work.

This one also rotates (hence the blurriness) but this is the "Hallmark" tree in the dining room

The little snow people display in the dining room as well

The other precious moment village on the buffet bar

I like this one

This is one of two trees that hang on the wall.  This one is in the kitchen, all the ornaments are from Paraguay

The tree in my Grandma's room, its the Hawaiian tree (just like the one I have in my room at home, Gma got me started on it) I only have half the tree pictured because when I took this picture the top half of the lights weren't working so Gma didn't want me to take a pic of the whole tree.

The sports and transportation tree in my cousin's room 

And finally, the Christmas display on top of the wet bar

So thats the house.  Christmas was different this year of course, but I had a good time.  We made a big dinner for Christmas Eve and had some family and friends over at Gma's house.  Gma and I did all the cooking.  We made a turkey and a roast, we had yum yum corn, and a green salad, I made Aunty Parees homemade rolls, we made homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, and for dessert pecan tassies, and I had to make cream puff pie.  My mom only makes it once a year on Christmas so I had to have it!  

Not the best pic because I forgot to take the pic before we cut into it

On Christmas day opened gifts after church.  After we opened gifts I went with Gma to visit my Grandpa at the cemetery and put flowers on his grave.  When we came home I got ready to go to the west side of the island to spend some time with the other side of the family.  We ate more yummy food, Aunty Dawn made her sushi bar (its sooo delish) so we had cone sushi and other bbq yummy food.  We then had a little Christmas message by Grandpa and all the kids participated and sang Christmas songs.  They then ended it with a little dance performance they were working on that night.  It was a fun night with family!  All I can say is that I'm so thankful that I have family here that I was able to spend Christmas with!