Merry Christmas!!

Well, it does not seem much like Christmas Eve in this beautiful tropical paradise! It's currently about 29 degrees. But, we have some Christmas decor up and Josh is singing Christmas tunes as we make final preparations for the party we'll be attending later this afternoon. A couple from Germany who has lived on the island for years is hosting a large international gathering of expats at their home. This will allow us to meet even more of Ed and Jami's friends. As we've found in the past, there's something special about holiday gatherings of random folks who are all far from 'home' and far from family!

Tomorrow we will travel by boat to Carlos' family's house to experience a traditional island Christmas with them! We've been told by many about Carlos' mom's amazing cooking abilities, and we're looking forward to finally meeting his extended family.

Yesterday, after a morning of work, Ed and Jami took us to one of the nearby reefs for some snorkeling. It was incredible! This island is known to have some of the best dive sites outside of the Great Barrier Reef, and we got a small taste of that yesterday. The most exciting siting of the day was a large Manta ray (about the size of a kitchen table). I must say that I was glad it wasn't me who saw it since I tend to prefer swimming with creatures smaller than myself!

So, as we go into the festivities of the next few days, we will be thinking of all of you at home. We are loving every moment here, and yet will miss traditions like handing out stockings downtown on Christmas morning with our SSA friends, and carving up a turkey with family back home. Being in a 'developing country' again has reminded me of the extravagant blessings that we take for granted in Canada. And yet a Christmas without all the commercial trappings is so beautifully simple.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas! We love you and wish you every blessing. As our Christmas card to you, take a moment to listen to my current favorite Christmas song. It's my wish for you this Christmas.