so for christmas everyone was home at the fabila’s. the only sadness was being away from perze’s side of the family.  but we always make sure to keep in contact with them.  tradition goes, we have a HUGE late dinner and open gifts at christmas eve.  fortunately, this is an easy task for emma so once hong’s woke up, we all went downstairs, congregated near the tree, put on the christmas music, and distributed the presents. 

i think every year, the presents get more ostentatious and expensive, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but the thought and financial sacrifice is always greatly appreciated. it’s very humbling.  this year, as will probably be the new routine, the two toddlers got the tower of gifts, the biggest gifts, and the gifts that required most setting up. 

for some reason, zem LOVES trains and cars this year.  so she got a train station set from her tito and tiny racing track cars from her grandparents.  to maman’s pleasure, the ng’s gave clothes and tita kris gave practical snow boots- Timbs…hahaha…brown and blue, just like the ones her Tito gave her, mary jane version.  perze and i got her tons of animal toys this year, because if it’s one thing that she’s loved since infancy, it’s animals.  just go to the toddler review or baby section of twelvesixteen for descriptions of what we got her.

emma gave us loving gifts this year too. out of the blue, she counted up to 10 for me. total shock because i didn’t know she memorized all the numbers in order.  then she sang Jesus Loves Me and Twinkle Twinkle…it made me tear up one night before she went to sleep…she really amazes me…it could be just me, but i honestly think she’s so smart and aware.  so when she grows up and people ask me when she started singing, i’ll say 2 years old, although i would say 1 too, because she would make up her own songs…

she even started singing the songs to the cantata from this year- Glorious impossible.  She’d sing the chorus, "allelujah."

for church, emma also gave to ‘Happy Birthday Jesus’ as she did last year, but this time, she was able to say it :-).

i’ll try to blog again about new years next time. it was very memorable for us since it was the FIRST time we spent at our place, as a family, and the first time we made our own HUGE dinner.

for the full album of our christmas: click here.