Heilig Abend

Finally we get to see the beautifully dressed tree that we had gone to find at single digits temperatures in the snow from Up North.

Isn't it beautiful! Again, next year, I'll have a tree too :-)

Uli yearning to open the big parcel he got from Germany!

Look at that spread! The Bergers sure know how to have a party!

Presents from all over the world! And lots of them!

Here's the dynamic duo themselves Markus and Chrisy!

Champagne! Those Bergers sure know how to party!

No, this is not a picture from Better Living, that was "just a bit o' cheese"!

Christmas cheer! Look, they even got stars from the sky for their guests! Well, I guess it's easy for Markus, with him working for an airline...Those Bergers sure know how to party!

(Uli, John & Joan, Markus & Chrisy)

The shimmy round the hors d'oeuvres buffet, yep, that's just the hors d'oeuvres, kinda just to warm us up before the sit down meal. The meal was two different kinds of salmon with mango salsa, homemade cranberry relish, asparagus, potato salad a la Markus Mum and much ah-ed over bread that Ulrich and Jessica brought along with those delicious cheeses. Those Bergers...I think I need a nap now...

(Ulrich, Jessica & Uli)

For me always a high point: The singing of Christmas songs. There is never enough singing in our lives! When Markus and I sang a traditional song (Es wird schon bald dumper) in our native accents that was very special. That evoked homeland feelings like few things do. And what is Christmas without the feeling of being at home... Well ok and the fact that Markus is a former member of the most prestigious Choir in the Western World (Wiener Saengerknaben) is pretty cool too :-)

Ah, the presents are unpacked and it's off to church. At this point I had to bail out with my cold catching up with me, which prevented me to go to my friends houses the next day, but it HAD been a lovely Christmas with Chrisy, Markus, Joan, John, Uli, Jessica and Ulrich!

Thanks for the lovely presents to all of you! Happy New Year!