Christmas 2019

It's already 2020 and I know if I keep putting this off, it'll never get done. So here's a quick recap of the quickest December (or so it felt like)!


Boy we had a great start to our Christmas season!
  1. We got our tree out super early (like before Thanksgiving lol)
  2. We started our new Christmas Jar tradition in November
  3. We used the daily devotionals from the December Ensign in our evening family devotionals. (Thank you Ensign for making my life so much easier)
  4. We had our Ward Christmas party (Dec 13th)
  5. aaannnd then we had almost two weeks of the cold/cough.
I swear that is the trend every single year! Strong start, get sick, get better and then MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! lol 

 Dec 16 | Beginning of the Sick Week

This was the last week of school before the Christmas break and we decided to keep the kids home since they had started coughing the Friday before. Unfortunately I was coming down with a cold pretty quickly so I had to stay home as well. Aljay took the kids to run errands with him all day just so I could work from home and try to rest. That evening they all came home exhausted, except Saleima and Aljay (the non sick people). Those two ended up having their own Daddy-daughter movie date watching Jumanji 2 lol

Aljay had also felt bad for dragging the sick kids everywhere so he let them buy their pixie gifts and totally used up our gifts budget (insert eye rolls). I was sort of annoyed since Penny, Vjal, and Brit had already said they would help take the kids shopping later in the week...but it's hard to stay mad at someone who just wants to spoil his kids. 

Dec 19 | Pixie Shopping

Like I mentioned above....To help us out, Penny & Vjal took the boys shopping for their pixie and Brittany took the girls for theirs. So kind and generous of Penny, Vjal, and Brit! And I'm so appreciative for them doing that because Aljay was already so busy with orders and I was so sick and had no energy to take the kids out. Such a blessing to have them. The kids always have so much fun with them!


Dec 20 | GIFTS LEFT ON OUR DOORSTEP

So I'm at work and get this call from Aljay saying that someone left a bunch of presents (like a ton of presents) on our doorstep....and I'm like...mmm..no that never happens to us (because it always seems to happen to other families lol). He sends me a picture and I'm super shocked. They had presents for every kid in the family and even for Aljay and I!?! What the heck!? 

Funny thing is, this is forreals the first year where I really didn't care to do presents. Like I would've preferred doing DIY crafts and projects with the kids and having them create or make their Christmas presents for their pixies. And lo and behold this is the year we've had the most presents we've ever had under the tree!!! What in the world?!? Worked out anyways since I was sick and had no energy to do anything. And yes we are so so grateful for the kindness and generosity shown towards our family.

Dec 24 | Christmas Eve

 We spent the evening making gingerbread houses, watching movies, wrapping last minute presents, and eating a light dinner of finger foods. The kids also got matching Harry Potter pajamas from Aunty Brittany. So cute!










Dec 25 | Christmas Day

We started our morning with our usual Christmas devotional and then presents (of course) and then a nice hearty brunch. Penny and Lahvjal were with us all morning before heading out in the early afternoon to have Christmas with Penny's grandma and family. Tui and Britt of course were with us all day going into the family to'ona'i. And the kids of course were thrilled and occupied with all their gifts.

Later in the afternoon we had our traditional Afele family eating with the Nakis (Teuila, Bubu, Aunty Fu'a, Bubu's sister Noe, and the kids) and the Afeles (Uati, Omi, Aunty Norma, & the kids). As always, it was a deliciously good time :)



And once I really get to it, I'll add whatever pics I can find lol.








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