We had been in India almost three weeks when Christmas arrived. Planning ahead, we packed all the decorations we would bring from "home" in our luggage so they were sure to arrive before Christmas. Our air shipment arrived from the US on Tuesday, December 21 and it was like an early Christmas (number one) for all of us. We couldn't remember what was in the air shipment and when we received word of its arrival I chose not to look at the inventory until after we could feel the surprise of opening the boxes. So that day was our first India Christmas. We had purchased bedding and blankets, shower curtains and drapes to decorate our new home before we left the US. When all of this arrived in our air shipment, we opened and inventoried everything and we began to decorate our house to look a little more like "our" home.
On Christmas Eve we were invited to a new friend's home for the evening. We had great fun meeting new people, kids all playing, eating traditional Christmas food like turkey, ham, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cookies and desserts. We played a white elephant game around the Christmas tree and Santa even came in for a visit. It all felt like Christmas and we walked home saying that was fun and we were all tired. On our way home we even had a tuk-tuk driver yell "Merry Christmas!" to us as we crossed a busy street.
Christmas day arrived almost a half day before it arrived for our family in the US, and Santa came to India first! Christmas morning arrived really early in our house because the kids just couldn't stay asleep. The three of them traditionally sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve, true to tradition the all piled into kid one's room and attempted to sleep for the night. At 5AM they crept into our room to announce the evidence that Santa had arrived and then we were up for the day. Santa found the kids in India and Grandma and Grandpa W's gifts were there too. (number two) The kids were feeling like Mom and Dad re-gifted when they opened the Fodor's tour book of India we have had from before our move. Seeing it was book marked to the page with our itinerary for Monday, December 27 we would take a ride to Agra and tour the Taj Mahal. (A whole post will be made for this soon-number three)
We walked to church that morning and the walk reminded me we were in India, far away from our family and our home of ten plus year. No sooner than I started to feel that longing and a car drove by and the passengers greeted us with a loud "Merry Christmas!" and I felt this too will feel like our home when it comes time to leave.
New traditions will come about, new friends will be made and still new gifts will arrive! Because on Wednesday, December 29 we had four packages arrive. Some was an order I placed but the box from Grandma and Grandpa D arrived with gifts for everyone. We all shouted with delight to find all the gluten free packages of goodies in the box for the family. Kid three opened his own package, a set of books from the cousin book exchange and we all had Christmas number four at our house. I am not sure we will get all the way to twelve days of Christmas but we will keep you posted.
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