It's Christmas Time! In June? Yep, that's right.

Upon moving to the southern hemisphere, there were certain impending changes which I expected. Speaking a new language, living amongst a people who are more relational than time or task oriented, and eating different food, to name a few. Yet something completely unexpected has made a more significant impact on me than I expected: the weather.

Now, the climate here is very similar to the climate of Tennessee or South Carolina. Summer is hot and muggy, winter is cold and cloudy and the average temperatures are similar in comparative seasons. "So what's different?" you might ask. Well, while you northern hemispherians are lathering up with sunscreen and sipping on iced tea and lemonade, we are bundling up in scarves, thermals and jumping up and down at bus stops to regain circulation to our toes. It's cold. Cold will forever remind me of Christmas.

Christmas is quite possibly my favorite holiday. Not only do we celebrate the birth of a figure in history whom I deem to be of the utmost importance, but I also happen to enjoy the barrage of hallmark-traditions that come along with the Christmas festivities: the songs, the wrapping papers, the classic Christmas movies. The preceding 23 years of my life have led me to understand that the natural progression is the following: leaves change colors and fall (involving much raking at the Bounds' house), it begins to get colder, Halloween (as bizarre a tradition as it may be) comes and goes, quickly following is Thanksgiving (another Holiday I hold dear), and then the lows really drop, perhaps we have a snow or two and out of the blue, Christmas is right around the corner.

While we haven't had Halloween, or Thanksgiving, the leaves, albeit just the few that exist here in the city, have turned and fallen and it has certainly gotten cold. This has left us expatriates yearning for some Christmas lights, blow up nativities and other "signs of the season." None of which have materialized to our great dismay. So, there was only one thing to be done - Celebrate the season ourselves.

Last Saturday we took the day to do a little team bonding over some tastes and traditions of Christmas, celebrated on June 25, the South-American weather equivalent to the holiday we all know and love. We ate like kings and queens, preparing a smattering of favorite American holiday dishes, played some games, and watched some classic yuletide movies (Home Alone, Elf).

Menu of the Day 
Brunch
Breakfast casserole
Pancakes

Lunch
Chicken
Gravy
Mac-n-cheese
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole

Deviled (Angeled) Eggs
Sweet Tea!

Sweet Things
Molasses Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
Pumpkin Pie


I'll leave you with a few photos of the day. Do enjoy!

Team shot at the girl's apartment in front of the Christmas tree.

And repeat, just with a little craziness thrown in. Ironically, Jessica (one of our team leaders) is holding a mug which says: "World's best STINT leader", which was actually given as a gift to John Mark (other team leader) by Cari...funny how that worked out...

Ben is a gifted individual. One of those gifts includes sleeping. Ben is pictured here with his secret santa gift to me, a hand-knotted Clemson blanket! Go Tigers!