Wednesday we returned from a 10-day trip to Charleston, SC- the place I grew up, the place Filipe and I met, and where we started out in ministry.
We survived the flights across the country with the three kids. The girls were great while Efraim was a little more challenging considering we took him as a lap child (toughing it out saved us $400+). They were content watching endless movies, playing games on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod, and eating snacks.
Charleston holds many memories for us and it was fun being back and visiting friends and family. We arrived after midnight on the 25th, so the 26th greeted us to Christmas morning at my parents house.
Throughout the week we were able to connect with many friends- including my college roommate who is also now a Pastor’s Wife (it’s amazing all that happens in 10+ yrs).
We spent an evening with many friends from the college ministry we worked at. All of the college students we served with are growing up. Many are married and now have babies of their own- others are expecting soon!
One of the highlights was spending the day in downtown Charleston! We went with my parents and Filipe’s brother’s family. Notice Lily & her cousin, Nathan, holding hands. So cute.
A treat for us was lunch at Hyman’s, our favorite seafood restaurant (sorry, San Francisco, you lost that one!). Filipe enjoyed the famous “crispy flounder” while I couldn’t pass up the “shrimp & grits”. Here are the kids with their boiled peanuts (those I do pass up though).
A treat for the kids was a carriage ride downtown Charleston. They have no memories of living there, so we thought it would be a great memory for them to remember the city of their birth.
(Sorry for the shadow, I have ZERO photography skills.)
Cailyn waiting patiently for their horse to arrive.
They were SO excited!
We had a really good time!
So thankful for good friends and family.
It felt like we had 2 separate Christmases this year. One in California and one in South Carolina.
Filipe’s brother (& family) flew to California the week before Christmas which meant his whole family was together (his parents and sister’s family all live in San Jose now). We had a big dinner on the 23rd and exchanged gifts together.
The Big Santos Family
Yesterday, the 25th, we flew to Charleston, SC to visit my family. It’s been 3 years since our whole family visited Charleston- the girls have no memory of it and this will be Efraim’s first visit. Needless to say, a trip was long overdue. We’ve been planning it for a while and decided it would be our big gift this year.
We are enjoying visiting my family, reconnecting with friends, and time off. I will continue to take a break from all new content the rest of this week and repost some of the highlights in 2011. Have some great memories this week.
I know I said I wasn’t going to post anything new this week, but this was too cute not to.
One of Lily’s friends at school told her that she was going to go visit the real Santa (and that the ones in the mall are fake). So she decided to write him a letter to make sure he knows what we want.
Here is the interpretation in case you’re not used to kindergartners spelling (she’s encouraged to spell the way it sounds). Apparently the letter originated with Santa given the fact that it’s directed to her and family.
Dear Lily & Family,
What do you want for Christmas?
Filipe wants a watch.
Mandy wants a bike.
Cailyn wants a doll.
Efraim wants a bear.
Lily wants a pair of glasses.
She thought of it all on her own. The funniest thing is that none of us have talked about any of those items. Not to mention, I have been asking her for a month what she wants for Christmas and she hasn’t once said, “a pair of glasses”. Of course I did run out and buy her some- couldn’t resist after a letter like that.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Hope you enjoy the day of our Saviors birth.
The Christmas season is in full swing.
Filipe’s brother and family arrived from Charleston this week and many activities are on the schedule.
Lily performed in her “Winter Concert” this week.
I’m busy making Peppermint Oreo Truffles for teachers
and mailing packages for loved ones away.
Our South Bay pastors must’ve drank a little too much Eggnog considering this is how they were spotted yesterday.
if you’re local, check out our Christmas Eve service
Next week we fly to Charleston (on the 25th) to visit my family and see friends…
it’s been way too long.
But in the midst all the hustle and bustle, I will continue to post. Don’t worry though, you won’t miss anything new. For the next two weeks (Mon.-Fri.) I will be posting the “Best of 2011″ and reposting some of the highlights of the year.
Enjoy your family and time with loved ones, and in the new year I will be back with some fresh things to say.
Looking forward to 2012!
Last Saturday night our family celebrated the beginning of the Christmas season together.
That morning Filipe took the kids to pick out a tree while I met with some girls for breakfast. Yep, I passed on the picking a tree experience. It’s not my favorite part, but having one, a real one, I like.
When I came home around noon they were still out, so I found the courage to open the storage shed and pull out the Christmas boxes. I kept putting it off as long as possible. Maybe the spiders I saw in there last month kept me away- since I saw it go right down in the Christmas decor box…ewww! I got the boxes out and into the house with only one spider sighting (which I quickly disposed of!), and got to work.
Later that afternoon Filipe took the girls to see Arthur Christmas. I stayed home to get the house ready for our “decorating party” while Efraim napped. While we waited for the girls to get home I brought out the Little People Nativity set for Efraim. He played with it non-stop fro 30+ minutes. Maybe having a toy to himself (and no sisters to take it away) kept him focused.
How cute is he?
That night during dinner we read the Christmas story and talked about what Christmas means and why we celebrate the way we do. Afterward we got to work on the tree.
Filipe had a little helper with the lights. 
and the ornaments.
Lily and Cailyn decorated their own little pink tree.
We had lots of fun together and afterward sipped hot cocoa and marshmallows.
Then they went to bed while I “fixed” everything. :)
Hope you have a blessed Christmas season.
Merry Christmas!
Have a wonderful time celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I pray you experience His peace in your lives this Christmas no matter where you are or what circumstances surround you. His gift of salvation for each one of us is THE best gift we could ever receive. Embrace Him this Christmas and be intentional about pursuing Him more and more next year!
I’m taking a short blogging break to focus my time with my family.
Be back in 2010!
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