So... I just realized that I completely neglected to take any pictures of Keaka opening presents on Christmas Day. Bad Mommy! We took lots of video (lonnnggggg video), but no pictures. Lame.
Anyways... Christmas was great! I hope all of you can say the same as well! Kels has been home for Christmas vacation since December 15th (David's birthday)-- It's been fun having her here again. We've been fortunate to see her like every 2 weeks for the past 2 months! haha.
I was very anxious to see how Keaka would react this year, opening presents-- She did extremely well! It was so cute, and I'm so glad she had fun. She had a blast ripping the wrapping paper off her presents, and thoroughly enjoyed playing with each opened-gift for a few minutes before moving on to open another. Some of her new favorites include her drum (which came with a flute, tambourine, and maracas), toy TV remote, mega blocks, purple mushroom chair, and especially her little Dora couch that folds out into a bed.
Her LEAST favorite is the rocking horse her daddy surprised her with.
The dreaded rocking horse... Do I really look that scary?!
Keaka will say "hi" to it, clean it, pet it, and even kiss it, but will not sit on it; for the most part, she won't even go near it. I'm not sure why she's so scared of it. Maybe it's the way it looks, or the size of it. Maybe it just needs a name! Whatever it is, I hope she gets over it soon enough to really enjoy it! Until then, we're using it to block the fireplace & the area our laptop is at, and wherever else we want her to avoid. It seems to be working very well for that!
With 2009 nearing an end, as I look back at this past year, I can't help but be thankful for all that my family and I have been blessed with-- a warm home, food to eat, that my husband has a stable job-- things that many families are forced to go without this year. During this time of year especially, I am so grateful that we have the Gospel in our lives. No matter what trials and tribulations we may face, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us, knows what we're going through, and will always be there for us. How wonderful it is that we have a season set aside to celebrate the birth of His son, who is the greatest gift of all. May we remember Him, and follow His example of selfless love and charity throughout all of 2010.
We hope you all had a Mele Kalikimaka & Feliz Navidad, and
wish you a Hau`oli Makahiki Hou & Próspero Año Nuevo!
