Dec 2012 – All about Christmas!

Posted on April 3, 2013

Merry Christmas… The spirit is in the air and all the festive fun begins. YA!

~ Family pictures for our annual Christmas card ~

(We always have fun trying to take our annual family picture. Out of roughly 100 snap shots we usually get one that is somewhat usable… But we have lots of laughs while trying!)

(Still trying for that picture but my biggest kid would have nothing to do with it)

(2012 Christmas official family picture….ah finally)

~ Setting up the Christmas tree ~

Our Christmas Tree always gets set up ridiculously early, everyone is excited with the magic in the air. We have to work at the spirit of Christmas being in an air conditioned room, no snow with shorts on 🙂

(Our handsome boys. I am surprised after all these years the tree has not been knocked over with the boys wrestling so much around it. There is always next year)

(Em and Charlie posing for the camera. Emmy loves her four legged best buddies)

(Our 17th Christmas together, WOOO baby I still remember our first one at my Ken and Gramma’s with everyone… so many great memories)

(This is how we roll 🙂 Again like I said, I am surprised the tree stays standing)

(My adorable crew!!!)

(The best picture taken… Love everyones personalities)

~ 2012 Annual Chiang Mai Santa Breakfast ~

(Ahhh our Annual Santa Breakfast, it is a family affair this event! We had 300 people this year and it went off without a hitch (for the most part..haha) All my kids are helper elves along with their friends, I could not do this morning without them. Santa, well he is the cutest one around and the Gymkhana Club where we host the breakfast really stepped up their game this year. A really great event, so happy we can do this together as a family for the Chiang Mai Community)

(This year Santa arrived on the back of a tuk-tuk, traditional Chiang Mai, Thailand style! Santa made the front page of many local newspapers which he thought was pretty cool, a local celebrity every year)

A family affair working together and creating lasting memories for little girls and boys of Chiang Mai.
It’s exhausting but worth all the effort when it’s finished (until the following September that is..haha)

(We had a fun Photo Booth set up for entertaining pictures to be taken. Here Em and some buddies are posing away. Fun times kids! Daniel. Sara. Patrick. Emma)

(All my very helpful special elfs. Everett. Emma. Nwe. Moe and Easton. THANK YOU!!!)

(Trent says he’s Naughty and I’m Nice .. haha)

(Easton and Patrick… They both are naughty)

~ Ginger House Time ~

(One of our favorite traditions each year is decorating gingerbread houses. It is a fun event for everyone and for as much candy that goes on the houses equal amounts go in the bellies)

(Sara came for the fun this year, she thinks our family is crazy..haha)

~ Em’s 1st ever Children’s Christmas Camp ~

(So proud of Em, she started her own business hosting Children’s Camps. Emma set up the party house for the event, got tables and chairs from the temple delivered, organized games, crafts, snacks, designed her own poster, marketed herself and her camp filled up right away.

(All the little campers making their macaroni wreaths. Such a great afternoon!)

(The Happy Campers! Em’s first camp was a huge success and she is already planning her Easter one. Our budding entrepreneur!)

~ Christmas Eve party at our house ~

We have been hosting Christmas Eve for a few years now, with a local church coming into sing Christmas Carols in Thai, Burmese and English. The evening is such a great time and this year especially with the spectacular fireworks show! Hey Babe… it was CRAZY!

The Richard’s family came for Christmas again this year. It always fun to have the girls giggles fill the house and having this special time of year to share together.

(Emma and one of her teachers, a fellow Canadian… Gina)

(Local Burmese church assembling to bless us with their voices)

(FOOD! East is digging in to the delicious treats)

(Tori created this delicious, yummy, irresistible desert that was gone in minutes. Thank you!)

(We had many sustainable trees scattered around the house again this year)

(The boys before they showed the greatest yet dangerous fireworks show to the crowd)

~ Christmas Morning 2012… Chiang Mai, Thailand ~

(Stockings are stuffed along side their adorable owls
(Santa manages to bring a stuffy every year those lucky kids. 🙂

(Christmas morning in Chiang Mai, Thailand 2012)

~ Christmas Night at the Nest ~

After we opened our gifts and played with them, we packed our bags to head out for tranquility and delicious food at The Nest. There was a big celebration with many friends where we relished in the spirit of relationship and Christmas.

(Everyone having a great time. The kids spent all their money and time at the games booth while the parents sipped on vino and stayed warm by the campfire)

(Love this crew! Merry Christmas 2012 my amazing family)

(The kids at the games booth (thanks Witcha and Stewart for taking all our money..haha. The kids were working hard at throwing darts, firing pistols and tossing rings all for the love of stuffed snakes)

(These two big kids were comical through out the whole night)

(Ev practicing his aim with his new slingshot from Santa)

(A intense game of liars dice happening back at home. I think the big winner was Easton)

~ Em playing with her Christmas present from the Richards ~

(Bless the Richard’s, they bought Emma every Wilton’s baking tool, decorating book and supplies she could ever ask for. We had a lot of fun getting lessons from Tori and many fingers dipped into the tester bowls. What a awesome present, thank you!)

(Emma’s first creation, super cute owls)

(Moe getting in on the action decorating her high heel. This was so much fun!)

(The finished high heel cupcakes. So cool and easy to do)

(Awesome! My favorite ones Em has made yet, it will be hard to top these shoes)

(Em and Tori made me eat a cupcake. They look fabulous but are way to sweet for me since I am strange (so my kids tell me) for not liking sweet things)

~ Chiang Mai Zoo/ Aquarium for the day ~

(Schmu and Richard kids growing up)

(Inside a sharks mouth… You crazy kids)

(Uncle Rob loving his time with the kids, teasing and getting reactions out of them all the time. The boys love giving him a hard time… its a win win situation..haha)

(You would think they know they are over 40, or at least their bodies are but not their minds)

~ Happy New Years ~

(Jaymee and Everett born the same day at the same hospital, a bond they will always share. Cuties)

(Ev loving this..haha… He had the girls hanging off him all night. Siarra. Jordyn and Jaymee… such fun spunky kids)

(Tori and Rob relaxing before ringing in 2013)

(Lanterns are lifting off)

(The kids really made it to midnight… fun celebrating with them.
Easton. Jaymee. Everett. Emma. Kai. Siarra)

(Cheers!)

(Here’s to an exciting 2013 of memories my amazing family)

(Happy New Years Babe)

(A man and his fishing partner. Charlie loves to fish with Trent, he is always by his side waiting to see what Trent catches. As soon as Trent reaches for fish food or his rode Charlie runs to him… it’s so cute. Trent loves having a pond right at our doorstep so he can get his fishing fix each day)

(Proud Panthers!
Our Championship team is now proudly displayed large and proud at school)

Well it is time to head into 2013. I sound like a broken record always saying time flies by but it does so you need to make the best of it. Have a great week and we are sending lots of hugs and love.

Until next time.

Ev. East. Em. Jody. Trent