For the Association, this meant that we began celebrating la Navidad the 2nd of December with Secret Santa... and I have to say, I made out like a bandit!! With a new top, bag, and wallet, I am ready to start dressing Catracha. (The women are also excited that I have been wearing tighter pants lately... very ¨Catracha¨ :) ) 
In addition to our team gift exchanges, we had a reunion of all of the volunteers that work with us in the nutrion, natural medicine, and Hesperian proyects. They all traveled to Orocuina from their prospective communities to complete a year end evaluation, have lunch, and receive a small token of thanks from the Association.
Outside of the Association, I have been lucky to celebrate the holidays with various friends! Jen, my friend, and the Peace Corps member here, hosted a great Christmas party filled with mint chocolate martinis, pin the nose on Rudolf, and the oh-so-loved White Elephant! 
I most recently celebrated Christmas with my neighbors, Maria Jose and Alejandra, by baking sugar cookies! While I forgot food coloring, we improvised with red juice from hibiscus flowers :) which made for a super yummy frosting- hibiscus sugar cookies--- Martha Stewart eat your heart out!
Christmas has also made it upstairs to my tree house! Maria Jose and Alejandra helped me cut out snow flakes, and Miguel gifted me his tree. It is literally the perfect tree in that I can pick it up and carry it around with me.... which I tend to do... meaning Christmas is never more than an arms reach away! This year I will head back to Las Peñitas to celebrate Christmas with Benicia´s family. While I am excited to make tamales and sing Christmas carols in Spanish, a part of my heart will be in snowy Wisconsin, windy Chicago, and all those places loved ones are.Feliz Navidad~Joyeux Noel~Milad Majid~Frohliche Weihnachten~Sawadee Pee Mai
Merry Christmas!
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