It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas...................

You hear that expression about this time of year, but what does it really mean?  If I was sitting in our family room on Greenpointe Drive I'd say it was because of the huge storm they just had in Ottawa that dropped 15 cms.  If Paul and I were back in Paris it would be due to the Christmas lights and Christmas displays along the Champs Elysees.  But alas we are in Ethiopia and there is no snow, no lights and limited Christmas decorations.  So we decided to do our part to add some Christmas spirit to our Addis home.

Our Addis Christmas Tree

Lexxie: The Christmas Tree Elf Guard

Outside the sun is shining and there is a cool breeze that causes our "Christmas" tree to gently sway.  Lexxie is standing guard against birds that seem interested in pecking at our decorative balls.

As you approach the house the front door is sporting a Christmas wreath we purchased at the German Bazaar. We also added a few coloured red balls we had purchased in Paris to give it that "je ne sais pas" look.  It still has a lingering pine smell, despite the fact that each day we see evidence of droppings.

Paul tied a nice bow

Welcome All

While in Paris we visited a store called  L'Habitat.  This store had so many novel decorations and we wanted to buy everything except for the small problem of transporting it all home to Addis.  We settled on a candle centrepiece for our coffee table, a small white, pre-lit Christmas tree, white and coloured tea light candles, silver tea light holders, white tree-shaped candle holders, a string of cranberries and a box of red balls. We were limited by luggage space, but we were pleased with our selections.  At the German bazaar besides the wreath we also bought wooden ornaments that we hoped would go nicely on our white Christmas tree.  At the NGO Bazaar we picked up hand made pottery Christmas tree shaped tea light holders and 2 Ethiopian cotton table runners.   We then went to our local grocery store, Fantu and purchased a small, pre-lit green Christmas tree.  Add to that 4 stockings we purchased from Mary (CIDA) in support of a local charity and our house is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

We decorated our front foyer table with white candle holders shaped like trees and  for a splash of color draped them with a string of cranberries.  The candle centrepiece sits on our living room coffee table on top of an Ethiopian cotton runner.  We placed our white Paris tree, decorated with wooden decorations and surrounded by silver tea light holders a top a table cloth purchased at a shop close to Notre Dame Catheral.  We placed our more traditional tree adjacent to the dining room table so we can enjoy it when we are eating,  We decorated the table it sits on with another Ethiopian cotton runner and hung our Christmas stockings.  The silver Christmas tree tea lights are sitting on our dining room hutch amid pictures of our children.

Our House Elf photo bombs another pic!

Christmas view

Pre-lit Tree..................looks better at night.

Candle display

The stockings were hung with care

Hold still Lexxie Elf.

The real treasures are in the background.

At night when Paul and I sit in the living room, discussing our day we are pleased with the overall effect of our Christmas decor. BUT as we all know Christmas is more than just putting up lights and decorating a tree. It's more than turkey and stuffing and it goes way beyond what presents you receive.  It really takes being 7000 miles from home to appreciate the true spirit of Christmas.  Christmas is about family.  Every year Paul and I love to host Christmas at our home in Ottawa.  Obviously that's not going to happen this year.  But what the last 5 months has taught me is how to adjust, adapt and cope with my new reality.   There will be no snow outside this Christmas, no turkey on the table nor a ridiculous number of presents under the tree, but what we will have is family travelling 7000 miles to share with us in our TIA Christmas.

We will welcome Johanna (JoJo) December 23rd,  Aleysha, Daylan and Jennifer December 25th, Allison December 28th and Wayne December 29th.  Christmas isn't just one day and through the staggered arrivals of our guests, the Christmas season will prevail.  We are eagerly looking forward to everyone's arrival.  We consider ourselves very fortunate. Although this posting has taken us far from home, we are gradually making a home here and it's working out for us!  After all, Christmas shared with family is really what it's all about, regardless of where you celebrate it.

To our family and friends back home, Paul and I wish all the best during this Christmas Season and a happy and healthy New Year.  We miss being there, but in spirit we've never really left.