Christmas Eve

Hello Gentle Readers!

As I write this, it is Christmas Eve. Here in Germany, Christmas is celebrated on this night, and most people go to church fairly late at night. This is not unlike Italy. I sent my Italian host mom an email.

It is snowing outside, making it a white Christmas. It is so cute! I am listening to Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Now I feel more in the Christmas spirit. In years past, I had more swimming, but less school, which was like my work. The past week, the kids haven't had school and I've been logging 12 hour days (or more!) Generally I have a couple hours to myself during the day. Not now. It's never felt less like a vacation ipso facto, less like Christmas.

It will feel good to go on my first week of vacation to Munich and Vienna. I'm meeting up with my good friend, Bonnie, and we will tear up Bavaria and Austria. I am so excited, not only to go on a vacation and get away, but also to hang out with friends. I use Skype and Facebook a healthy amount, but it is no substitute for real human interaction. I have a feeling that the theory of social networking doesn't actually work. How can you be friends with someone you've never met? Anyway, I will appreciate my vacation to the fullest.

So we will be celebrating the birth of Jesus today, have the older couple over tomorrow and open presents, and on the 26th, I'm going over to Gene's cousin's family. They are really nice and great! We are also having the younger missionaries over for dinner that day. The next day, I am off!

A busy weekend to be sure. :)

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...