Whatever dreams or visions I had of Christmas this year, they weren't what actually happened. I didn't hear reindeer on the roof or Santa's jolly ho, ho, ho. There were no sugarplum fairies or snowflakes. I thought I'd be home for Christmas but then I ended up in Sofia on the actual day.

But as you know, if you've been reading this blog. Things worked out alright in the end.

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Christmas wasn't what I expected this year. Sure, maybe Christmas is never exactly what you expect (or hope) it will be but this Christmas was one surprise after another. First my flight was canceled and I got to celebrate Christmas in Sofia and then in Walla Walla I got to celebrate it again. The morning of our family Christmas I woke up with the flu and a 101 temperature which turned out later to be pneumonia.

Needless to say while Christmas wasn't what I <em>expected </em>this year it was wonderfully <em>unexpected</em>.<!--more-->

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I got to open gifts with my brother and his girl friend who were actually celebrating Christmas with her family in the Midwest on the actual day. Rather than a big turkey Christmas dinner, we had clam chowder and curried lentil soup and plenty of family Christmas cookies.

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Santa didn't come this year and there wasn't a single candy cane to be found in our house but I guess these things happen. I also ended up with a case of pneumonia. These things happen.

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Still Christmas was pretty great. It was nice to see my aunts and uncles. I loved seeing the looks on everyone's faces as they opened their gifts. I couldn't get enough of all of the holiday jokes and teasing.  It was also pretty great to sample all of the different cookies that my mom, my aunt, my sister and my bother's girlfriend made. Yum. Yum.