It’s been awhile since I’ve stayed at home to see leaves change in the autumn and snow fall in the winter. This year has blessed us with a beautiful autumn hiking trips and fun activities with my family. Finally, it topped off with a snow storm during the holidays, giving us 10+ inches overnight! 

I’m… dreaming of a White Christmas!

This year’s Christmas is pretty special to me, with lots of firsts.

Despite not being religious, I grew up in a country where Christmas was a big deal, streets on streets decked with lights. I learned to love all the Christmas songs, make and gift presents, watch the classics and all the traditions. Lately, my parents have also been getting in to the holiday spirit! There is nothing quite like relaxing in your home with family and waking up to the snow raging on.

We made homemade hot chocolate for the first time (with leftover candies from Halloween). It is so much more delicious than the hot chocolate packets from Dollar Tree or Wal-Mart! It was phenomenal! After the first batch, we got more experimental and bought dark chocolate and adjusted the sweetness to our liking. The warmth of a cup of hot chocolate radiates inside out on a snow day.

I made gifts! You may already know about my crocheting hobbies. This year, I wanted to give everyone a little something special and made little snowmen, pattern courtesy from Ravelry. To top that off, I had also made my loved ones holiday coupons, printouts from One Artsy Mama! They turned out pretty well, I think. Though it was definitely a lot of work!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Uh-oh! The snow had caused a power outage! Most recently, we had a 2 day power outage from Hurricane Irma, which put everyone on survival mode. When the power went out, we fretted about how the cold temperatures would make this suffering much greater than the hurricane. After the initial panic, we used our phones (which were not charged) to find the candles.

Despite the powerful instinct to need our internet, we found great ways to pass the time. In the candle light, we played Taboo (but in Vietnamese, so that our parents could play too), card games, talked, and hung out. This reminded me of the old days in the Philippines, where power outage was a frequent occurrence. We never had smart phones, and frequently kept each other entertained without a distraction of a zombie glow on their face.

I sled for the first time! Who’s twenty-three years young and has never sled before? Ha! It was an experience. Who knew going down a slope on a piece of plastic could be so fun?

Today is Christmas Eve, where our non-religious traditions includes playing board games, watch movies, listening to music, opening presents, and eating food. On Christmas day, we’ll get to play with our presents and visit our friend’s Christmas party. But, really, the only thing we need during the holiday is our family. <3

We’re finally getting closer to our big flight to Vietnam. So much to look forward to, but most of all, to see our family in Vietnam.

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What are some of your highlights or funky traditions this year?