merry christmas, etc.

dudes, thanks for getting excited about our oven and our run. we feel warm and glowy inside.

these past few days, we have remembered that it's the christmas season, a fact we'd managed to pretty much forget because, other than the christmas devotional a few weeks ago, we haven't really seen a lick of evidence that we should be celebrating anything. buddhist nations just aren't really into the idea, for some reason.

but now we renember! firstly because we've received a few amazing christmas cards and a package from mumsy... you people are amazing! and also because we had an enormous and rather hysterical party at church on tuesday night. aren't our primary kids cuteums??


and i spent today introducing my students--for our last lesson ever! sad!--to no-bake cookies, popcorn, and the christmas carol, courtesy of jim carrey. luckily, this was all to their delight and not just to my entertainment. i love asians so dang much, especially when they're trying new things.

when was the last time you whipped up a batch of these in a wok, may i ask?

and in the event that waxed paper is in short supply at your abode, banana leaves work great. tuck that one away for later.

speaking of asians trying new things... as i'm writing this, nick is sitting at the table playing monopoly with 2 young gentlemen who were recently baptized and one who's hoping to do the same soon. they actually seem to be enjoying themselves, which i previously thought impossible when enduring said game, but there is a lot of laughing going on. we've got a little plastic tree on the table, we had a festive holiday dinner of, well, burritos, and more no-bake cookies are waiting to be consumed for dessert. i wish i'd captured ot's face when he tried the refried beans. i really thought he was going to throw up.

ot illustrating his worst nightmare.

it's pretty unanimous: thai people think mexican food is disgusting. notice the computer just rarin' to go... the christmas story was reenacted by little kiwi kids just moments later...

even after i dumped a load of chilli pepper into the beans, their faces still looked like this:

i love, love, love พ่อ (paw--thanks for reminding me, tia! er, i mean lauren! haha, i be a dumby) so very much.

and now that we're approaching midnight, i'm starting to think it's about time santa headed over to our place. i'm pooped. luckily, the karaoke gang at the "new house" party at our neighbors' is getting into the JUST REALLY, REALLY PLASTERED phase, meaning we've just made it through the I'VE BEEN QUITE DRUNK FOR 3 HOURS NOW, SO EVERYBODY SING THIS BALLAD WITH ME, BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE EVEN MORE OFF-KEY THAN I AM phase and hopefully have only 4 or 5 more hours of SERIOUSLY, GUYS, WHEN DID I TURN INTO A DONKEY? to go. i know it sounds like i'm complaining, but really, i kind of think it's awesome that there are no rules against making such heinous animal noises at such amplified volumes in the middle of the night. we really do love this place.

and on that note, merry christmas, y'all. may we all find a way to take a moment from the karaoke (or whatever your particular distraction might be) to remember that life is amazing and precious and that God loves us so stinking much, so maybe we should do the same. not much more needs to be said, i s'pose. blessings on your heads!