2008 was good and long

Lara and I had a wonderful Christmas! We decorated and invited and baked and wrapped. We called home more than usual and spent time with friends...who are actually family. We ate more hersheys chocolate that day than all throughout the rest of the year thanks to my mom. She may not get around to sending me my favorite hoodie but I can always count on her to send chocolate...the best in the world no less. It made Christmas more familiar. Thanks mom!

















I went to my coworker's wedding. It was my first Chinese wedding. I took tons of pictures for you all to see every dish we consumed, but this fish one pretty much sums it up. Almost every dish had a head and and gaping mouth like this. A few of them had beaks, but the most dramatic looked like this happy fellow here.

















I want to leave you with a pretty thing. This is my ocean. I know most people obsessively take pictures of their kids or cat or best friends, but I seem to post pictures of my ocean most often. It's something that is always there and always beautiful.

I miss home terribly.
I just made my first batch of pancakes from scratch.
I finally bought some sweaters for winter.
I leave for Longyan tomorrow.
We just got a PapaJohn's here in Xiamen!
I hope the New Year is full of joy and clarity and growth for us all.