Weihnachten 2009

There were definitely mixed feelings this year about Christmas. On one side, last year we were really excited that the grandparents were able to celebrate Christmas with the grandkids and that we could have a "big" Christmas with all of our family. However on the other side, it was really nice this year to be home for Christmas. Out of the past 5 Christmas' we have celebrated all of them here in Berlin except in 2008. Christmas time in Berlin is what we enjoy the most with the Advent season celebrations and Christmas markets adding to the excitement and atmosphere. Going out to the street corner to buy a Christmas tree and carrying it two city blocks home is something that one cannot experience in Columbus, Ohio. Although it sounds crazy, it is something that has become special to our family.

This year we experienced something really special when we had our first Christmas Eve Program in the Family Center. In previous years we had to go somewhere that felt uncomfortable, foreign and with a service that lasted forever (not good with small kids!). This year we really wanted to offer a Christmas Eve service at the Family Center that was relaxed for families with small kids and where unbelievers would also feel comfortable. Stephanie led everyone in singing german Christmas carols (while playing the piano), we read the Christmas story while the children acted it out (Grace was Mary, Caleb was Joseph, and the other kids who were there filled in the rest of the parts) and then our pastor said a few words to the Christmas story. To our surprise, we had about 30 people, including kids, with some stepping foot into the Family Center for the very first time. The best comment of the evening was "it felt like celebrating Christmas in our family room"...which is exactly what we wanted! After hanging around for a bit, drinking coffee and eating cookies, we headed to home for dinner.

Heiligabend (Christmas Eve), is what Germans really consider Christmas. It is when they have their big dinner and open their Christmas gifts. We have incorporated part of this German tradition into our family. We go to church then come home for our nice dinner (Christmas day is a simpler dinner). Before I begin to cook the kids get to open their first gift, so that they can play with it while I prepare dinner. After dinner we finish reading our Advent book and open the last door to their Advent Calendar. It is a really nice evening and probably ranks now higher then Christmas day for us.

Christmas day is a really relaxed day. Or should I say it started off pretty relaxed until Hanna wanted to open all Christmas gifts. She thought it was so cool that there we so many gifts that had wrapping paper on them that she could open. Unfortunately she didn't realize that most were not hers. We ended up having to move all gifts to a location high enough were she couldn't reach them. In the afternoon we did the webcam thing with the grandparents, only to finish just in time for dinner.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, a great thing about Germany is that they have the 2nd Christmas Day, which is an official holiday. For the second time we were invited to our good friends to have dinner with them as well as coffee and cake. It was a really relaxing afternoon in which we ate Gruenkohl und Kassler (green cabbage and ham), it was sooooo good.

As always with our "two lives", one is not better than the other. I cannot say that this Christmas was better than the last year when we were in the US, it is just different. There are things that I really like about each and somethings that I would like to change in each (for example having grandparents here instead of having to webcam) but some are things that I cannot. What I am most thankful though is that no matter what I have my three little ones and my incredible wife no matter where I am, they are the ones that make me always feel "at home."

Picture Descriptions:

1) Family Christmas Picture 2009

2) Nativity Play at Family Center

3) Caleb Hanna & Grace opening stockings

4) Caleb & Grace and their new bikes on Christmas day

5) Hanna opening one of her gifts