FELIZ NAVIDAD...

    Christmas is all in the heart... or so the line goes in Steven Curtis Chapman's Christmas song.  Well, this is how I felt this year.  My first Christmas, away from my immediate family, began with the usual Christmas festivities... stockings, breakfast, opening the presents, etc.  I have nothing to complain about this just want to say it was strange/sad not to be with the family back in MO.  The day was full... we hung around the house until about 5:30, when we headed to a church service where I had been asked to play my violin for their Christmas service.  I must admit that upon hearing of the opportunity I had some mixed emotions about it...I wasn't extremely excited to be leaving the house for the tenth night in a row but felt that I would/could be a blessing, however this all change by the end of the evening.  We arrived at the church and shared in a time of worship of The Savior whose birth we were celebrating.  So incredible!!!  Good fellowship and worship time.  I hope to never forget it.  We concluded the evening with a bit of a reception...cake, cookies, pastries, punch, etc. (you get the picture).  Leaving at around 9 we made plans to drive to a nice part of town where there was  a light display.  So neat! 

Our Christmas morning breakfast... Tamales.

The drive was quite pretty... we found a place to park the car, then walked around.  It was a very neat atmosphere as well as the temperature incredible!   

 Lights, lights, lights...

This house had a projector that changed the appearance.  Very neat... and colorful!

    The manger scene display was neat... they wait until the 24th to put baby Jesus in the manger. Neat concept.  Pretty valid actually.

    The building with the lights is the tallest building in South America... it was pretty neat.  We stopped the car to take pictures.  Probably not the safest thing to do...considering driving habits here...then again maybe it wasn't that bad. 

Well, tomorrow we are headed to Argentina...for vacation as well as to renew my visa.  I wanted to inform you all because it means that there will be a laps of about 10 days before I will have the chance to update you on things.  Looking very forward to the adventure, relaxation, and family time.  It will be good!!!  I am excited...

Did I mention that I have a month break until I begin the next level in Spanish?!  I am very excited about this as well...hopefully in this down time everything that I have learned in the past couple of months will be absorbed in my brain and applied.  This is my hope.

I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and that every day you may continue to celebrate Him!  Happy new year!