Favorite Christmas Shopping Moments of 2009

Today we were walking down a street full of shops and there were half a dozen boys from a groups home out shopping. They were wearing santa hats and Christmas sweaters and looking so festive. One was hanging back further than the others and we passed just at the moment he pulled out a walkie talkie and said, "Can you hear me?" with a mischievous but happy grin on his face. Gian called his smile "BEAUTIFUL". It was the greatest moment.

Another great moment happened last weekend as we were at the craft store getting our Christmas decorations. Gian stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes got huge when he saw Christmas trees and wreaths made entirely out of black feathers. In hushed awe and reverence he whispered, "It's Mordor Christmas!" And if we were a movie the dircetor would have flashed into our brains to observe detailed scenes of Sauron and the orcs trimming their Christmas tree and hanging wreathes on their huge iron doors while they tear meat off of bones and drink barrels of beer.