Mele Kalikimaka!

For the first year ever, I celebrated Christmas somewhere other than home in Oregon. Spending the holidays in tropical paradise was definitely a big change from Baker, aka the North Pole, but we still had a wonderful Christmas.

 We kicked off the Christmas season with the tower lighting at Hickam Field, the Air Force base that is joined with Pearl Harbor. We sat really far back so the loud music wouldn't hurt Sarah's ears, which meant that we couldn't really see the stage or hear what the speakers were saying.  They were late lighting the tower, and all we could tell was that someone important was up front talking and people were clapping a lot.  It wasn't until a week later that we learned from the news that Emma Stone and Bill Murray had been there to flip the switch on the lights. Maybe we should sit a little bit closer next year.

 The week before Christmas, the Navy opened the USS Arizona Memorial ferry boats to the general public for evening harbor lights tours. All of the surface ships and submarines, as well as USS Missouri (Mighty Mo), decorated themselves with Christmas lights for the harbor tours. Sarah even enjoyed it. It was her first boat ride.

Really, I think Sarah is kind of oblivious to her surroundings and the historical significance of Pearl Harbor. She still had fun, though.

 Santa looks slightly different (more tanned?) in Hawaii. Sarah asked for more toys. Mom asked for baby-quieting toys like a swing.

 We got a late start hanging Christmas lights, but Kelson still got them out there 4 days prior.

 And Santa granted Mom's Christmas wish. This baby-quieting toy really works!

 And she is a perfect complement to this Christmas family. That is a Mosier prerequisite.

Here's Sunday before Christmas. She looks cute in her Disney Christmas dress.

 For Christmas candy, since Chrisanne was not here to guide, our efforts turned internationally and we took a page from Brazilian holiday traditions. Emily instituted a new Christmas candy tradition with bon bons brigadeiros! Personally, I think we took their recipe and improved upon it. I never saw brigadeiros this beautiful in Brazil.

 Kelson has been quite the decorator this Christmas season. He found a package of fake snow (polyacrylic acid-based) and created a cute scene.

 We made some finger foods to take to the Watson's house for Christmas Eve. While Em was away shopping for Secret Santa gifts for ward members, Kelson made pita chips on the pizza stone in the oven. SO many food firsts this Christmastime.

We spent the evening at Joe and Julie Watson's house. They have 6 gregarious children, who entertained the baby and also acted out an entertaining theatrical of The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.

Here they are on Christmas Eve in front of Kelson's fireplace, which is lit to keep our home warm during the tropical winter nights. The stockings are even hung by the chimney with care. Kelson is giving Sarah the "what every girl needs to know about a proper Christmas" lecture. Sarah was in her Christmas jammies getting ready for Santa. She may have even dreamed of sugar plums that night.
  

Christmas breakfast! Kelson went a bit crazy in the kitchen during the holidays. We made 15 items he saw on Pinterest, which was a little much, and we ended up being in the kitchen for much longer than we ever anticipated. I think he managed to generate two loads of dishes a day for a whole week. This picture is of apple cinnamon pull-apart bread for Christmas breakfast.

 During Christmas breakfast we Skyped with family members.

 On Christmas morning, the baby was not quite ready to be up yet and open presents.

 Here is yet another of Kelson's Pinterest Christmas concoctions: homemade wassail (pronounce "wossle") served in apple cups. By the way, the wassail was amazing. I think Kelson drank 10 cups of it before Christmas day was over.

 And yet another of Kelson's Pinterest holiday must-haves: pear tarts baked inside mason jar lids. They turned out well, and we added some caramel topping and whipped cream.

Here is the advent calendar the Hindmans made for us a couple of years ago, complete with handmade clay figurines (a la Chrisanne) and other mini keepsake articles that we have gathered from our travels to different places to purposely include in our advent calendar. It makes it more eclectic and Mosier-unique that way.

The best present of all this year was from the Lord. He gave us Sarah Helen Mosier. She came without ribbons…she came without tags…she came without packages, boxes, or bags (but lots of diapers). Christmas didn't come from a store. In fact, this year it meant a little bit more.