Wesołych Świąt! / Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas...Wesołych Świąt !

We enjoyed our first Christmas in Poland and from the beginning to the end it was a great day!

We woke up, had a simple breakfast and then off to church for just one hour.
The messages in church this morning were wonderful...bearing testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, his mission and the gifts we receive because of Him. 

After church, eight missionaries serving in the Warsaw II Branch and one other young man from our branch came over for Christmas dinner.  We were thrilled to have them in our home!

They participated in a group gift exchange....and then we gave each of our guests a "bag of goodies" also. 

We were creative with the eating arrangements in our home and found it was possible for eleven of us to eat together in one room!

Our guests enjoyed eating, visiting, singing, playing the piano, reading and playing a brain game...Blokus!

They became "angels" as they insisted on helping clean dishes, which was a great service to Mark and me.

Here is this wonderful group of missionaries and one Young Single Adult...

Front row: Sisters Bailey and Jones, and Elder Johnson

Back row: Elders Murphy, Curtis, Dopp, Hillyard, YSA Dominik (who just received a mission call to USA...Tacoma WA), and Elder Dobrowski.

What a wonderful Christmas to have our home filled with these wonderful young missionaries!
They filled our home with lots of laughter and such a wonderful spirit!
They left our home and were ready to make and receive Christmas phone calls with their own families...we remember those special Christmas calls ourselves.

Our guests left around 4pm, and then it was time to open our gifts to each other. Our Christmas was mostly our trip to Hawaii and items purchased for our move here to Poland...but we still enjoyed sharing and giving a few items to each other. 

Ever since purchasing our new computer prior to coming to Poland, Mark has wanted a wireless mouse...he has one now and he is happy!

I received another new hat...we wear hats almost daily here so I know this will get a lot of good use.

We purchased a special light that is often used in higher latitude areas to simulate

natural sunlight....hope it helps.

Here is Mark testing out the light...you can use it for 1 1/2 hours a day...I think Mark will take it to his office though he would like me to use it here at home too.

We spent the rest of the evening making connections with family, one of our most favorite activities...though the Picketts were scattered abroad this year, we loved making our family connections via the computer, Skype and phone. 

We miss our friends and family but...we have had a good first Christmas in Poland! 

2nd Day of Christmas...

In Poland, the day after Christmas (Dec. 26th) is always a public holiday...it is a day set aside for relaxing, eating left overs and visiting with friends.

We received an invitation to the flat of one of Mark's co-workers....Kasia. She was so kind to invite us to visit with her, her mom and daughter Rose. We took the Metro, walked and arrived at her flat in the afternoon. She welcomed us with Polish treats....poppy seed cake, gingerbread and chocolate and cheese cake. 

 Here is a picture of little Rose, Kasia and her mom.

Here are Mark, Rose and me after playing games, play dough and visiting with this sweet little girl.
Kasia was so kind to invite us into her home on this Polish holiday...she has always been so friendly towards Mark and me, and though I don't work with her she has been a model of kindness.

We have created some new memories and routines and have enjoyed experiencing the holiday season in Poland this year.
Mark returns to work tomorrow and I return to my routine... our home will stay decorated with holiday and Christmas cheer until January 6th...another special holiday in Poland!
Happy New Year 2012.....Szczęsliwego Nowego Roku 2012!

Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia/ Christmas Eve ... 2011

It's Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia (Christmas Eve) in Poland!  

Mark and  I spent the day going on a few errands, wrapping, baking and preparing for the Christmas weekend. 

Most Polish families do not purchase their trees or decorate them until very close to Christmas Eve. Throughout the week we would see corner lots selling small, live trees. 

At the Christmas market close to the Cultural Palace there was a pile of small trees bundled and ready for purchase. We rarely saw big, tall trees for sale as in the U.S.... mostly small ones as in the above pictures.

I baked Christmas sugar cookies by myself this year...usually it has always been with my children....they turned out pretty good even though I used Polish ingredients and our Polish oven.

Mark and I made a delivery of a 30 lb. food basket to a member of our church. We had tried delivering it the day before but just as we neared the flat we found out she was not home. So on Christmas Eve morning we tried again and this time Mark used my rolling cart...it was good to make the delivery and fun to share with someone else.

We also dropped by Mark's office to pick up our mail (thank you to any who have sent us cards...we have enjoyed them and have been thrilled to receive any cards at all this year) and we noticed the mall that adjoins next door was practically empty! I don't think we would have seen this at the U.S. malls on the day before Christmas.

I also attempted to bake a pumpkin pie. I had a can of pumpkin brought over from the US...my biggest challenge...finding a pie tin! 

We couldn't find our pie tins so I thought I would just buy another one... but no pie tins in Poland! Not because everyone is baking pies...but people in Poland don't bake pies in round dishes like in the U.S. (I just found that out!).  But I found a round baking-type of dish with higher sides, and made an attempt....it worked, though it does not quite look the same.

Christmas Eve Dinner.... A Shepherd's Dinner

We were invited to an American family's home for Christmas Eve. 

On Christmas Eve they eat around their coffee table on knees, by candle light and only eat with fingers!  It's to simulate how the shepherds might have eaten.

We had simple foods, yet probably better than the shepherds had.  It was great!

Here is a picture of a few of the foods we ate....ham, chicken, crackers, cheese, breads, fruits, vegetables, nuts, raisins and craisins. We later enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies for dessert...it was so much fun and delicious too!

A view by candlelight...

Here is the family that kindly invited us to join them (sans the photographer father).

Mark and I ready to enjoy this fun meal and activity.

Here is our dessert spread....white powdered sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, my sugar cookies, and hot chocolate also.

We watched the movie "Mr. Krueger's Christmas", then the family acted out the Christmas story while it was read aloud. 

We had such a lovely evening with this wonderful family...we got to know them better and felt so lucky they would include us in their family Christmas Eve activity! 

Merry Christmas Eve in Poland....2011!

December Days in Poland

Today (December 21st) is officially the first day of winter so I thought it appropriate to post pictures of winter and Christmas sights we have seen in and around the city of Warsaw for the past few weeks and since our return from our trip to the warm US states.

This beautiful Christmas tree stands in front of the Royal Palace. Mark and I took a tour of the palace on my birthday in June. The tree is very lovely and quite a striking sight to see!

We took to the streets on the 2nd weekend in December and we were not alone....though cold outside the streets were filled with people shopping, looking and enjoying the beautiful lights that Warsaw has displayed.

In front of the Cultural Palace (across the street from where Mark works) is a Christmas market. It was cold outside but fun to see how the Polish people decorate at this time of year and what they have offered for people to buy.

Mark enjoyed some hot chocolate and I just enjoyed staying warm.

Here is a lit tree in the esplanade between the Cultural Palace and the Central Train Station next to Mark's office. Since darkness arrives by 3:30pm we can enjoy the lights quite early and for a number of hours here.

Decorated trees are on the streets, by stores, in malls, and in restaurants and buildings. Most Polish people do not decorate their own trees and homes until Dec. 24th...but the city does a nice job in creating a festive spirit with their lights and trees much earlier.

We ate a simple meal at one of the restaurants in Old Town and here was a little tree decorated in the entry way. So many of the decorations are similar to what we might see in the US while other decorations are quite different.

We arrived in Old Town early in the afternoon but since it gets dark so early we were able to enjoy the lights soon after arriving.

 This tree is in Old Town...it looks as if the lights are falling down from the tree though you can't really see it in this picture.

In Old Town, there is a mermaid statue (one of the symbols of Warsaw)...she is atop a pedestal that is decorated with this blue light display. 

In Old Town we also saw a manger scene depicting the birth of Jesus. 

Here we are walking on a beautifully lit street... Krakowskie Przedmiescie...it runs between Old Town and one of the main streets, Al. Jerozolimskie (Jerusalem Avenue). It was a cold night but there were crowds of people just like us outside and about. I think if we had been in Houston with these temps not many people would have been out and about.

The trees look pretty during the daytime also.

Trees line the walkway outside the mall next to Mark's office. The Saturn sign is for a store inside the mall...a store similar to Best Buy.  Only problem....I usually have a hard time finding someone that speaks English.  But I have successfully printed pictures there!

A beautiful tree inside the Sadyba Best Mall, across the street from my orthodontist. It is a small mall but still beautifully decorated.

We have enjoyed shopping, going to parties, and seeing experiencing the holidays in Poland. It has been cold - in the high 20s to low 30s.  But for Poles those temperatures are extraordinarily warm for December.  And until last night (December 20), there was no snow.  The Polish people don't particularly like the winters....but they want snow in December and especially for Christmas!

We left the Young Single Adult Christmas dinner last night to snow falling...most Polish members were thrilled! So....we just might be getting snow for this weekend's Christmas! 

The picture above is as we were driving into our neighborhood...actually I am driving! Mark wanted me to have more experience and so as I drove in he shot this picture.

Here I am after we parked our car...we back it into our garage. I am standing in the street in front of our home. So on the eve of the first day of winter we have snow! 

 This morning we woke up to a light covering of snow in our backyard, porch, trees and patio furniture! We are wondering if this will be a common sight for the next 4 months...white and green are quite lovely and the view continues to be quite beautiful from inside of our home!