December Festivities

Let the treasures of the trial

Form within me as I go

And at the end of this long journey

Let me leave them at Your throne

 

...That's what's playing in my headphones right now, and no, it has nothing to do with the post really.  It would be more appropriate if I was listening my Christmas playlist, but honestly...I listened to that a lot last month.  So I thought I'd change things up a bit. :)

 

Today we're half-way through January so I figured I'd better my December post written soon.  It took nearly three hours to get all these pictures uploaded the other day.  Between the very spotty internet and having other things to do, by the time the pictures were finished uploaded, I couldn't get the post itself written.

 

But enough excuses.  Let's get started.

 

 

 

 

The whole month of December was crazy, crazy busy.  I got a cold at the beginning of the month, so I resigned myself to having a cough for pretty much the entire month.  (Still do.  It usually takes me around three weeks to get over a cough, and this dust doesn't help at all.)  I don't remember the last time I had such a full Christmas season.  The break part of Christmas Break pretty much disappeared with one festive event piled on top of another piled on top of another.

 

Most of it was really fun.  Special times.  Good memories.  Lots of pictures.

 

Just...well...tiring. :)

 

- - -

 

 

We started out the festivities with our NTM Christmas party on the 13th.  Ruth and I went over Muriel's in the morning to help with preparations.

 

This year we had a progressive dinner - which was incidentally the first progressive dinner I've ever been to.

 

 

We peeled and cut an impressive amount of carrots and potatoes.

 

But with three of us it went fast, and it was fun to hang out.

 

We listened to Christmas music and drank tea and ate nems and pain chinois (nems are basically spring rolls, and pain chinois is a very similar filling inside pastry instead of a rice wrapper).  Ruth kept making us laugh, something she's an expert at. :)

 

 

 

 

 

We had to keep an eye on the sugared almonds for the salad, because certain people who were not part of the cooking crew kept wandering into the kitchen to snitch little bits.

 

 

Apartment #1: Cheese and crackers, veggies and fruit with dip, and drinks.

 

 

 

 

 

We were each given little slips of paper with one line from a Christmas carol.  We had to go around and find the other people with the rest of the song.  Then each group had to sing their song for the rest of us.

 

 

 

 

Apartment #2: We just visited while we were eating.  No activities. :)

 

The menu:

ham

steamed green beans and carrots 

salad

scalloped potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apartment #3: Everybody brought desserts.  We had several craft tables, a photo both, and a gift exchange (Theme: "Something you can't live without here"), singing, and reading the Christmas story.

 

 

 

 

 

So clearly it was a little crazy in this room.  Also, I was distracted and therefore employing a randomly-snap-pictures-and-hope-some-turn-out approach.

 

But, hey, I never claimed to be a professional.

 

 

 

 

Yay for friends!

 

 

Ruth and Michi didn't get the memo.  We were totally supposed to make goofy faces.

 

 

And this is what happens when I ask Jenn to take a picture us of with my camera.

 

 

"Hey, gimme my camera back!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

See?  This is precisely why I usually make faces in pictures.  Because then I know it's going to look silly.  Because then I'm supposed to look silly, ridiculous even.  But here I'm just smiling and trying to look normal...and...yeah.  Not really a success.

 

At least Anna looks normal and cute.

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason the guys weren't into the card-making stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- - -

 

The school Rick and Muriel's girls go to had a Christmas program one Sunday evening.  I didn't have anything else planned, so on a whim I went with them, and I enjoyed it so much!

 

Puppets, carol singing, skits, and dances...and all in English.  Happy sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- - -

 

A completely unedited picture which was good representation of how my kitchen looked for much of December.  There were cakes and bars and olive balls to make in...not small quantities.  Which resulted in a crowded counter and a general mess.

 

 

 

Because my oven is small and has only one rack, even a modest batch of cookies takes a while to finish.  So my brilliant idea was that I'd just make quick breads vs. the typical Christmas cookies to share with friends.

 

The poor pumpkin and apple breads ended up smushed in transport, though.

 

Lesson learned.

 

Cookies next time.

 

- - -

 

 

The Sunday before Christmas, I invited a bunch of girls over for a finger-food party.  (Finger foods are my one weaknesses.)  I think only about five or six ended up coming, but we had a good time. And there was plenty of food, so I call that a success.

 

It was also a very international party: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Germany, UK, and the US were all represented.  I like international gatherings.  I think the diversity reminds me, in a small way, of California.  Yes, this is totally a rabbit trail.

 

But while I'm in rabbit trail mode, I'm going to make an excuse for why there's only one picture of this event (and it doesn't even have people in it).  Basically, when I'm the one hosting, I have a hard time remembering to take pictures of the guests and the action, because...I don't know, I guess I get caught up in the visiting.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 

- - -

 

Our church's Christmas party was held on Christmas eve (into the wee hours of Christmas morning!).  Last year I didn't go.  I'm not a night owl to begin with, and the prospect of being out super late - when I wouldn't even understand much - was not at all appealing.

 

This year was different.  I honestly think this Christmas party was probably one of my biggest "wow-look-at-how-much-things-have-changed" moments.  From the ladies' planning meetings, to helping cook, and the party itself, I was able to be involved on some level.  An insider?  Not completely.  But at least not completely on the outside anymore.

 

I went over Angèle's to help her and some other ladies with cooking the day before and the morning of the party.

 

The menu:

various appetizers

grilled chicken

breaded chicken

pork brochettes (kebabs of sorts)

fries

salade chinoise (a cold noodle-based salad)

traditional drinks (bissap, bouye) and sodas

various cakes

 

Angèle wasn't responsible for everything, but she did all the meats and the fries.

 

Trust me, it was a lot of work.

 

 

But she's quite organized, and with several extra sets of hands, we pulled it off.  The whole two days proved to be a really good bonding experience.

 

 

 

When Angèle didn't have anything for me to do, I'd tote around my little buddy Theo (who is six months old as of yesterday).  He recognizes me now and his little face lights up when he sees me, which of course warms my heart. :)

 

 

So here we are, at the party.  The "official" starting time was supposed to be 7:30.  I got there a little after 8:00 and it didn't start probably closer to 9:00.

 

This is Africa, people.

 

 

Different groups (kids, young people, ladies) got up and sang while we enjoyed the appetizers.

 

 

 

 

It was when the ladies sang their songs the audience got really lively with their dancing and clapping.

 

I had this weird moment of, "Hey, this is good party [according to African ideals]," followed almost immediately by, "When I go back home I wonder if I'll feel those parties are too boring and toned-down?"

 

 

You know how hard it is to get clear pictures of people when they're dancing?!

 

Pastor Gabi gave a message, and by the time the program was over and we actually ate it was...wait for it...around midnight.

 

 

Tout le monde a bien mangé.  (Everyone ate well.)  Another sign of a good party.

 

There was more singing, visiting, and lots of clean-up to do.  I left close to 2:30, and there were still more than a few people there.  I got home, put the food in the fridge, put my pajamas on and collapsed into bed.  (I did brush my teeth too, I think...)

 

- - -

 

Several hours later I woke up and got ready for Christmas lunch with Jenn and Michael.

 

 

It was the first time I've eaten at a restaurant on Christmas, but it ended up being just the thing.  (And by the way, that's sparkling apple juice.  In case you're wondering.) 

 

The food: tasty

The ambiance: pleasant - not too loud but just lively enough

The company: fun

 

Also, after all the time I'd spent in the kitchen before that, it was so nice to not have to cook or clean up.

 

And guess what I did after I got back?  I laid down for a "nap".

 

- - -

 

The week after Christmas was busy...no pictures, sorry.  (See my "Many Hats" post for pictures.)

 

Babysitting and house projects took up the majority of my time that week.  I'd planned to go Angèle's Monday evening, but that didn't work out, so I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and figured, "Oh well, if it doesn't work to go over there this week it won't be the end of the world.  At least I got to hang out with them a lot last week."  The next day she called and was like, "You'll come tomorrow, won't you?  So we can see you?"

 

It's nice to not only be entirely welcome (which I know I always was at their house) but really wanted. :)

 

So I spent my New Year's Eve with them.  In my mind I'd planned for a repeat of last year, when I rang in the New Year all curled on my couch with Evangelists in Chains.  Although I certainly wouldn't have complained about a quiet evening by myself, it was really fun to be with them instead.  We took an evening walk with the kids, then went to see her parents for a bit.  ("To greet them," they said, which basically involved sitting in their living room and drinking cold juice for half an hour or so.)

 

We came back, and Julien locked the front door, as if to say, "Okay, we're in for the night - just our family."  You have no idea how much I miss my folks back in CA, and would have spent the holidays with them in a heartbeat if I could have, yet...

 

I realize just how much Julien and Angèle have become family to me.   Not to replace my own family, but to add to it.  It's cool how God blesses us like that, you know?

 

So we sat around, eating our warthog brochettes and the salade chinoise that Angèle's mom had sent for us, talking and laughing and watching the TV.  We watched the fireworks for a bit.  Germain was so exhausted from all the excitement that he fell asleep relatively early, while his baby brother and the rest of us stayed up and celebrated.  I left finally around 2:00.

 

I guess that's technically I have to stop there with December festivities, since by the time I left their place it was already January. :)

 

In life or death, whom shall I fear?

Closer than breath I feel You near

Oh hold me in Your strong embrace

Where I find rest in the year of grace

 

And that's a perfect note on which to end the old year and to start the new year -

 

Grace.