Being that we are flying to the DR on Christmas morning we decided that our holiday celebrations would be bumped up a day, so we can still enjoy all of our festivities without feeling like they are getting rushed or skipped over. So the 23rd has become our Christmas Eve, and the 24th Christmas Day.

   Living the simpler life on a boat means that you don’t carry around all the extra “stuff” that you might accumulate in a regular house, it means you carry with you the things that are important to you. And at this time of the year, with young children, and us being young at heart, keeping the Christmas spirit alive, cherishing traditions, and making memories is what matters. Which means that although storage is a precious commodity we made sure to carry around with us a mini Christmas tree, decorations, and wrapping paper.

   Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree has grown a whack load of gifts under it, and it even got some lights to make it glow, thanks to our friends on Jakasso. Some activity time with the girls has made for paper snowflakes to decorate the walls, to add that festive chill to our boat, and Eben and Arias made a nativity scene to sit next to it all. Chocolate chip Christmas cookies are being made for Santa and his elves, carrots and in the fridge waiting for the hungry reindeer, the carols are playing, and the Christmas movies have been selected. While the girls gifted us with a nap on our Christmas Eve Eben is making crepe Suzettes for our morning feast, and after nap time we will drive to the grocery store for dinner fixings.

   Because of tricky weather not all of our sailing posse is here with us, we are scattered along the bays of the south coast of Puerto Rico, but two other boats have made it here, and they will be over this evening for eggnog and rum and finger foods. We are about to smother them with our Christmas cheer.

   Because of our different lifestyle, the sailing one, we have had to adapt the Santa story a little. About a week ago Arias wrote her letter to Santa, we placed it in a bottle, and we sent it into the ocean to float to the North Pole. Sorry if you consider this polluting, but a message in a bottle seemed fantastic, and it is basically the only time we will let the girls throw anything into the water. This evening Arias will be writing instructions to Santa on how to get into our boat, since we don’t have a chimney, and will post them on our mast for him to see when he reaches us.The stockings are hung and ready to be stuffed, and more presents are stashed away to be brought out as the girls sleep soundly tonight for a big morning surprise.

Our Christmas Morning

   We all cuddled into bed together and read the Christmas story. Giving extra cuddles and love before heading into the salon for the present parade.

   Their faces were priceless as they noticed a table full of presents, and they impatiently waited for us to give them the ok to start unwrapping. There was a flurry of wrapping paper and many requests for “more”, and in the end the presents were all a hit, even the undies. After eating enough crepes to stuff each one of us, the girls are running around playing with their toys while been and I watch the kids movie we got for them, Planes. Apparently our gifts were that good, better than a movie.

   To add to our Christmas gifts two others from our boat posse arrived this morning. It is always a joy to see another safe crossing for boat friends.

Instructions to Santa on how to get into the boat

Santa came
Christmas Eve “fox” pjs

ok maybe that present was a little lame!

her favorite present, a camera

Crepe Suzettes
Christmas Treats
s/v Simple Life over for some Christmas treats and celebrating