Merry Christmas from Samoa!

Although I have blogged about Christmas in Samoa before, this was officially our first Christmas on the island. Emma and I went to Hong Kong and China in 2006, and last year we all went to New Zealand. It is easy to not miss family and traditions while traveling, but with no trip planned this year, I wasn't really looking forward to the holidays in American Samoa. In spite of the tacky island Christmas decorations trying to keep me down, I just couldn't stay a scrooge with Emma getting quite excited. It turns out we had a fine Christmas and I didn't miss family, snow, fires, food, and the associated holiday bliss as much as I thought I would. In truth, it didn't really feel like Christmas. With temperatures near 90 degrees, it felt more like we were just pretending by celebrating Christmas in July. It seems that the spoiling of grandchildren follows some sort of mathematical equation that the greater the distance apart, the more presents are sent. Given the 7,000 mile distance our little tree was barely visible amongst all the gifts. This being Ona's first Christmas we were entertained by the classic baby reaction of loving the boxes and wrapping paper more than the toys. Emma also had fun with boxes as she decorated dad in a box hat and lovely gift bag earring.Instead of a snowy scene out the window, we had a beautiful sunny day in the jungle, perfect for taking photos of flowers. The first is often visited by a wattled honeyeater, one of our favorite yard birds. The second flower is red ginger. Liz joined us for a delicious brunch. Her time on the island is winding down so I am enjoying every minute we get to spend together.In the evening we headed to a friend's house for a Christmas potluck. It was a nice evening of friends, good food, and incredible views (thanks for the photos, Liz). It was fun to search for our humble dwelling in the valley from their "castle" up on the mountain.