Feliz Navidad!

Ok, I know a post about Christmas seems long past due, but as usual, I'm behind on blogging. So many times, I've starting composing blog entries in my head, but rarely do I have the time to type them and post them. Better late than never, right?

My students, getting on their holiday cheer for our performance

The day before I headed home for my 3 weeks in the States, we had our annual school Christmas party. As always, my students performed a song in English. This year, they did "Jingle Bells," a song I was sure they had already heard or sung about a million times ... But surprisingly enough, the majority of them didn't know the song. So glad I finally picked it! To make a long story short, I was VERY glad to arrive in the States the next day.

Our smiles are frozen on

My first week at home was mostly spent getting ready for Christmas - baking, wrapping gifts, doing a little shopping. Not long after I got home, Chris flew in from Texas. It was so great to be together; the last time that Mom, Dad, Chris, and I were all together was in May when they came to visit me in Mexico. Needless to say, we made up for lost time and even had a family photo shoot (thanks to one of my friends!) in the freezing cold. I also enjoyed celebrating Christmas with extended family. Nothing beats time with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This year, dad's side of the family decided to do an ugly sweater party to add to the holiday festivities. It really did add a whole new element of fun to Christmas, especially when Chris chose to wear a shrunken child's size sweater and kind of offended our grandparents with his attire. Never a dull moment!

Roommate Reunion - special guest, Chris's tortoise...

Another highlight of being home was the time I was able to spend with some of my college friends. New Year's Eve was spent with a "roommate reunion," as the girls I lived with senior year drove to Schaumburg. It was wonderful to catch up on each others' lives and do a lot of laughing. On New Year's Day, another one of my roommates, her husband, and precious little girl drove up to spend a couple of days with me. We spent most of the time just chatting, but also squeezed in an IKEA visit. It's always amazing to me how God perfectly times my visits back to the States - it's like He knows exactly how long I'll be ok serving in Mexico before really needing to get away. He knows exactly what I need when I go back to the States and is always so faithful about re-energizing me through time with family and friends or time to just be by myself and do nothing productive. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me while I was back in the States and found the time to hang out!