This was my favorite Christmas break! Emma was home and John had two weeks off work! Before Emma came home we started a list of things we wanted to do over the break. We ended up doing EVERYTHING on our list!
Emma, James and Eliza spent two days with a group of HS and College students working on a project to provide clean water to a migrant school. I was proud of them for taking some of their school break to do this service.
We went to a Shanghai Sharks game to watch Jimmer Fredette! We thought he might be a member of our branch but he didn’t transfer his membership records. His wife is pregnant with their first child so she stayed home in CO. Jimmer works and travels almost every Sunday so he goes to church when and where he can. I think his contract ends this February or March. A member in the branch gave everyone these BYU volleyball shirts to wear to Jimmer’s games. They had about 100 left over from when the BYU volleyball team came last year.
Eating out was on our list. We all have our favorite Shanghai restaurants. Mine in a Mexican restaurant called The Maya. I always order the same thing — mango and coconut sea-bass on a bed of sweet potatoes. I honestly dream about this meal. John estimates that in the last six years I’ve eaten this meal about twenty times. The owner knows us and thanks us each time we come because we are always introducing new friends to this restaurant. This was our kids second time eating here.
On December 23rd Emma, Eliza, Tessa and I went to the Nutcracker ballet. I ordered the tickets as soon as they came out. We had really great seats. Half way through Tessa leaned over and said, “Mom, do you still wish you were Clara?” I nodded yes. She leaned her head on my shoulder and held my hand. I thought that was so sweet of her. Emma is also a big fan and I saw tears in her eyes a few times.
Christmas Eve we had nice clear weather. Going to the top of the new Shanghai Tower was on our list but we had to wait for a day that was clear with no rain or pollution. This first picture is the photoshop one they take while you are waiting in the line. Below are the real views we got.
After touring the tower we went to the Shangri-la to eat their Christmas lunch buffet at Yi-Cafe. We didn’t think that we needed to make reservations. When we arrived it was packed. Since they thought our group of 7 was big they told us to wait a minute to see if they could find a table. They came back and said we could have a private dining room. We probably stayed three hours just eating and laughing since we had the room to ourselves.
That evening we acted out the Nativity. James was Joseph and Mia was Mary. Then we put together a puzzle of the Shanghai tower. It wasn’t an easy puzzle — thankfully there were letters on the back. James and Eliza put the rest of it together using our glass table.
Christmas morning started at 6:00am. After we opened presents we had our traditional breakfast of egg casserole and bundt cake. Our sacrament meeting was combined with two other branches. Emma sang, “Would I know My Savior.” The next Sunday she was asked to sing again. She sang a duet in sacrament meeting with Winter Freebairn, “I Will Stand as a Witness of Christ."
For Christmas Mia got: a BYU sweatshirt, American girl doll, apron and kitchen toys, Daniel Tiger PJs, Doc McStuffins playing cards, a Disney Minnie Mouse, books and Sofia the 1st doll.
For Christmas Tessa got: a BYU sweatshirt, Fit-Bit Alta watch, tea set, hoop earrings, apron and cookbooks, framed ballet Dagas pictures (that we got in Paris two years ago), dresses and clothes from the Gap and H&M.
For Christmas Eliza got: a BYU long-sleeve shirt, Fit-Bit Alta watch, make up, camera strap, clothes from the Gap and Old Navy, boots, elephant shirt, pencil case
For Christmas James got: a BYU sweatshirt, speakers, earphones, cuff links and ties, board games, Apple Music subscription, clothes from the Gap and Old Navy, all things USA (pjs, socks, shirt, hat, flag to hang on his wall, and he is holding a small copy of the Declaration of Independence)
For Christmas Emma got: a Fit-Bit Alta watch, journal and planner, elephant shirt, clothes from the Gap and Old Navy, shoes, and in the states she mailed in her favorite HS t-shirts to make quilt (The picture below one we took before mailing the shirts in. I’m excited to see the finished product.)
John got an Apple Watch. I got dishes from Spin Pottery.
On December 27th we spent the entire day at Shanghai Disney. It wasn’t very crowded and we were able to ride everything and eat at Cheesecake Factory.
Emma’s favorite part of this Disney is the Star Wars exhibit.
At Shanghai Disney there is a Chinese Zodiac park. Tessa was born in the year of the dog.
