our CHIRSTMAS - the 24th and 25th

We drove back from Asuncion on the 24^th, arriving at our house about 1:00.  It was a hot 5 hour drive (our car has no working air-conditioning) and all we could think about when getting home was setting the kiddie pool up to get cooled off and sipping terere. 

After we were cooled down a bit and relaxed, we unpacked and wrapped gifts and started on our Christmas Eve traditions....opening stocking, a new movie and firecrackers. I am never more reminded that I have a household full of boys as on Christmas Eve in Paraguay. My boys LOVE firecrackers. The younger boys’motto is “the louder the better”. The older boys (including their father) measure success by how much of the fruit exploded. Even though the explosions rattle my bones, I love the look on my kids’ faces as they waiting in anticipation....pure excitement......pure joy.

We were invited to our friend’s house for a grilled lechon (baby pig) dinner (Paraguayans celebrate on the 24^th).  We arrived at 9:00 and were served dinner at 11:00.  Jeff lit more firecrackers there.

 

We arrived home just before midnight and....Jeff lit even more firecrackers.

On the 25^th we had a relaxed waffle breakfast, a family reading of the Christmas story, and then a time of opening gifts.  I just love giving good gifts to my kids! 

For lunch we avoid trying to recreate a traditional North American Christmas lunch (too difficult here) and instead do something that we normally wouldn’t.  This year we decided on Chinese food which I have never made before.  Since my hand is still very sore, Ginny was a huge help in preparing the majority of the dishes and it turned out fabulous.

We played lots of games, put together LEGO kits, spent hours in the kiddie pool - Christmas day was incredibly hot – we sipped tons of terere, and cherished the time together as family.

 Homemade icecream for rootbeer floats