Christmas 2025

“Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.” – Richelle E. Goodrich. 

All in attendance:
Me, Trevor, Jeri, Geoffrey, Mom, Kalib, Christopher, Gemal, Jose, Brenda, and Shawn.

Geoffrey was our first guest.  He got here about 3:00pm.  Kalib and Chris came in about 3:15pm.  Gemal, Jose, Brenda and Shawn got here about 3:30pm.  Jose, Brenda and Shawn had to get back home soon because they have Christmas with their family, but we had Christmas gifts for our godson Shawn.  He got all kinds of Bluey items, this year, as that is his new obsession.  Plus, my son's got to meet my godson for the first time.  Shawn, who is normally very outgoing, was very shy.  He was the only child in the room and we all had eyes on him.  So, he opened his gifts, and Jose and Brenda opened theirs, and they left.

For Christmas dinner, we had prime rib, 2 huli-huli game hens, mashed potatoes, candied yams, deviled eggs, Portuguese sausage bean soup, Hawaiian sweet rolls, cranberry sauce, and peas and carrots.  I'm a little old school, I do miss having macaroni and cheese, turkey and ham, and all the Thanksgiving fixin's for Christmas.  Some years ago, my sister began making prime rib for Christmas dinner, which I am not fond of for two reasons.  The first reason is I don't really care for steak-meat.  The second reason is I have a disorder called dysphagia that I have been suffering from for about 12 years now, which makes it difficult to swallow food.  For me, certain meats like steak meat, chicken breast, and pork chops are choking hazards.  So, I do not eat them.  The cornish game hens, cooked huli-huli style by my husband was delicious and soft.  I love chicken skin, but the game hen skin was a bit too tough for me.  

We had a Where's Waldo? ornament this year, that Trevor bought from Walmart.  We decided on a new tradition of hiding Waldo for Christmas every year.  The first to make a comment about Waldo will win a prize.  This year, Gemal spotted Waldo in the tree.  She won a mug and cocoa set.  Later, my son Kalib told me he saw the Waldo way before Gemal mentioned it but he didn't say anything.  I gave him a prize, too, of Guava cookies.

The prank gift this year, was Trevor decided to take the first layer of chocolate cookies out of a gift box, and refill it with Marlboro cigarettes.  Then, he replaced the second layer of chocolate cookies over the cigarettes.  He wrapped the first layer of cookies separately, and then wrapped the cigarette/cookie box, too.  I thought cigarettes was such a tacky gift, but he pointed out, "Hey, it's expensive!"  It is an expensive gift, but geez...cancer sticks?  That was his revenge for Jeri wrapping a package of socks individually the year before, and hiding it as tree garland, and making Trevor unwrap 24 individual socks.

Gifts were simple this year, and I think everyone was happy with what they received.  Mom was so elated for her Christmas socks, she made the cutest gesture by, joyfully, clapping her hands.  She has lost most of her ability to communicate in English.

Shawn was so excited for his Bluey Legos

Shawn and his Bluey Activity kit

Shawn and his Bluey Christmas ornament

Brenda and Shawn

Me, Trevor and our godson Shawn

Trevor's present

Jeri finally got her prank present open

Kalib's magnifying screen from Aunt Jeri

Geoffrey with his robe and slipper from me and Trevor

Gemal's Philosophy bath gels from Jeri

A sweet treat for Chris from Mom and Trevor

Old Navy PJs for Kalib from Mom and Trevor

Earbuds for Geoffrey from Jeri

PJ pants for Chris from Mom and Trevor

A lumberjack shirt for Trevor from Jeri

The Perfect Man for Gemal (she's had bad luck with men, lately)

A sweet treat for Kalib from Mom and Trevor

A magnifying screen for Trevor from Jeri

A magnifying screen for Chris from Aunt Jeri

A magnifying mirror for Jeri from me and Trevor

Gemal got everyone a bouquet of flowers

Danish cookies from Gemal

3 generations, Chris, Kalib, Me and my Mom

Chris and Grandma

Kalib and Grandma

Me and my sons

Chris and Aunt Jeri

Kalib and aunt Jeri

Gemal and Me

Gemal and Jeri

Christmas Eve and Christmas 2021

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” ― Norman Vincent Peale

 So, we first went up to Washington to visit with our friend Pedro on Christmas Eve.  We met Pedro through the internet, and he's got a bunch of wonderful children.  He said he was invited back to the north part of Oregon to a friend's home for Christmas.  The friend's name is Izzy.  Izzy's home was very eccentric.  

We sang on the Karaoke machine, ate a wonderful dinner, and then headed back to Washington.  Because it was late and cold, we slept at Pedro's home.  Pedro served us a nice breakfast made with duck eggs and chorizo for Christmas breakfast. Then we stopped by my nephew Daniel's home in Gladstone, Oregon. My nephew Daniel's girlfriend Pam and my niece Anya made Christmas sugar cookies. Pam gave us cookies for our trip home. They are too cute to eat.

Christmas Day 2020

“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!” ― Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers

 Trevor wanted to take a Christmas morning picture.  I made him take 3.

Christmas 2019

“Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.” ― Robert Lynd

 

My nephew Daniel, knowing how depressed I have been, decided to pick me up from Salem and take me to his place in Portland for Christmas.  They had a gift under their tree for me and I had a gift for them.  They gave me a Bath and Bodyworks Winter Apple trio (and it smells so good).  I got Daniel a Green Bay Packer's throw blanket and Pam some European chocolates.  I was just happy to be around family, even if just one family member.  In Trevor's tradition, I got us a Green Bay Packer's ornament for a future Christmas tree.

Christmas 2018

“The nutcracker sits under the holiday tree, a guardian of childhood stories. Feed him walnuts and he will crack open a tale...” ― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Trevor and I had been living in Salem, Oregon, although this picture was taken at a friend's house in Keizer, Oregon.  Their names are Danny and Tanya.  

They were very kind people we met during the toxic water crisis coming from Detroit Lake that was in our drinking water.  Danny and Tanya gave us water and we became instant friends.

I always love going to Danny and Tanya's home.  They have 3 awesome kids and Danny is actually from southern California and also Polynesian.  So, he can relate to me from California and Trevor from the Islands.

Their tree smelled delicious.

Mele Kalikimaka

“I stood for almost an hour in a line of shuffling, bitter-eyed late mailers (Christmas is such a carefree, low - pressure time - that's one of the things I love about it),...” ― Stephen King

Trevor, received a tiny, decorated bag at work from his Filipino co-workers.  The bag is kind of feminine, so he passed it on to me.

The contents were two boxes of whitening soap, by a company called Magical!  I was like, "What are you trying to tell me?"  He said, "Nothing.  I just saw two little soaps with a chick on it and thought I would give it to you."

What a sweetie pie for thinking of me.

What baffles me about this soap is the precedence of self-hate that darker completed Asians feel the need to lighten their skin.  Having grown up in beach cities of southern California, I loved a tan or "healthy glow" from having some sun light.  Lightening my skin has never been a thought that crossed my mind.

I love my freckles and beauty marks.  It makes me unique.  As the song goes..."A face without freckles is like a sky without stars."  Needless to say, that was an interesting gift.

The girls I live with had an explosive Christmas.  Their living room was so full of gift wrap when they were done, it looked like Christmas threw up all over.  I enjoyed watching the kids open their gifts.  It's the first Christmas without my children.  It warmed my heart a little to hear the squeals of grateful children on Christmas morning.  They call Trevor "Uncle Trevor" even though he's not biologically their uncle or even married into their family.  It's called "hanai" family, meaning an unofficial adoptive family member.

He got them a Mickey Mouse popcorn maker to share.  I love to see genuinely grateful children.

I didn't think I'd get a gift for Christmas, because to some, I was bad in 2016.  I just had a break-up from my kids father, and we were together for 21 years.  It will come to fruition, the blessing it was that we separated because in the end, good things will come for both of us.  We just don't know it, yet.

I live in Makaha Valley.  It's a small town on the far west side of O'ahu, Hawaii.  The neighbor girl across the street received a goat for Christmas.  It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen, yet.  

But, I did receive gifts.  I received a handmade quilt by Trevor's mom, Jodie.  Valerie gave us a personalized glass Christmas ornament.  Trevor bought me a my first Mele Kalikimaka ornament as is tradition in his family (giving an ornament every year).  He also gave me a rose, after driving an hour to come see me.  It certainly made a bittersweet Christmas a bit better.