mele kalikimaka

Well our computer is still out of commission but I wanted to get some pictures on the blog of our Christmas...so here I am at Jason's work computer again. We started off the day with our now traditional homemade cinnamon rolls (recipe to come later)...Clone of a Cinnabon. I had a bunch of extra material laying around from a project I started a few years ago and never finished, so I thought it would be fun to make the boys matching pajama pants...then I realized this is why I don't sew clothes. The result was more of an 80's style balloon pant, but they still looked pretty cute Christmas morning.

It was fun watching the boys open their gifts. Our neighbors from downstairs, James and Troye, came up for a little bit to enjoy the boys excitement too....and have a cinnamon roll or two.Then we read the Christmas story from the children's Bible and sang happy birthday to Jesus. We each had a cupcake with a candle and blew them out.

Once the kids went down for their naps, the party planning began. We decided (with James and Troye) to ask anybody we knew that didn't have family in town, to see if they wanted to come over for Christmas dinner. So we set up our downstairs shared lanai to hold about 15 people and spent the afternoon cooking, baking and decorating. Our meal was basically Thanksgiving all over again with my family's traditional eats as well....shrimp and meatballs for pupu's (appetizers), sweet potatoes with cranberries (recipe to come later), and cherry mash and fudge for dessert. It was a day of celebrating with new and old friends. Christmas day to me is gathering of friends and family...with plenty of food and laughter...with some game playing thrown in.
Most importantly, this day means celebrating the birth of our Savior, the greatest gift and most joyous occasion. I am truly thankful for God always fulfilling his promises and the hope that brings.