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My American Christmas. It was different. The main difference was that everything happened on Christmas day, not Christmas eve. Everybody in Finland celebrates Christmas the 24th.

It came so fast and passed so fast that I'm confused. I've probably said this about hundred times but I can't believe how fast time goes. You don't often just stop and think about it. There's just day after this one and then another after that one. Today you're going to meet new people, and have conversations with them, but does it matter? Do you remember who you talked with a week ago, and what you talked about? I don't. Now it's Christmas. This was a day that I will probably remember forever. I had fun, it was great, but it was also hard.

Friday was the hardest day. First of all, I was the only kid in the house. I always feel lonely when Olivia isn't here! So I woke up and started the morning by skyping to Finland. We had planned that I would be a part of their Christmas dinner there. Baba and Didi were at my mom's house and of course my sister was there too. They sat in the dinner table and I saw all of them there in the candle light, I saw the food and the beautiful Christmas decorations. And it was just too hard not to cry. Our tradition has always been singing Enkeli Taivaan and then reading Bible before Christmas dinner. Didi started playing piano and they started singing and I wasn't the only one was crying. After the call I just laid in my bed and cried.

Later after they had eaten I called them again when they were opening presents. I felt a bit better. I'm so happy that I got the opportunity to be a part of their Christmas too. For too hours I just watched them opening presents. Usually me and Emilia (my sister) share all the gifts from under the tree and then everybody opens one gift at a time, when others are watching. I don't know how to describe how it felt to watch them to do it without me. It was nice to watch them read my letters. Me and Baba are always the ones who are crying!

I also called to my aunt Johanna, who has lived in Scotland for several years. It is so funny how it's easier for both of us to speak English! We started in Finnish though, then I couldn't explain something and I switched to English. She couldn't stop laughing to my accent. I BLAME YOU AMERICANS!! I seriously couldn't finish one sentence without her laughing her butt off. It was funny though!

After that we went to church with Sarah and Mark. It was nice. At the evening we went to some of their friends. I was the only kid, I didn't know anybody and I was the only one who wasn't drunk. Compared to that it was nice! After Mark had told that: "Yeah, the Finn can be friendly too, you just need to push her a bit." people started talking to me. Haha. So I had a nice time there.

And then, today, Christmas day. I did well, I wasn't sad at all and enjoyed the day! Mark made breakfast, cooked the last things for the dinner and then I finished the cake I made earlier for dessert. While I was making it Jaclyn, Theo and Olivia got home and soon we started opening presents. Now it was my family's turn to watch me opening presents through Skype. I got SO MUCH STUFF! I was shocked that they got me so many presents, I kept saying thank you over and over again. Here some pictures of what I got!

Me opening my first present.

Speakers (♥), a video camera, and one of those things that you put on an iPod and you can connect many headphones to them!

All the clothes I got!

Charcoal and water color pencils! I got my own pencils because I've been borrowing Olivia's. Yay, now I can start actually doing drawings with colors!

All the other small stuff that I got.

Jaclyn with her presents.

And then I got a watch, but I don't have any pictures of it because I forgot to take them! Everybody also liked my presents. I took pictures of them, made a collage and put it here. I'm going to have another Christmas when my mom's, grandparent's and Juuli's packet comes. I really hope it's going to come on Monday. It's unbelievable how long it takes them to come... Can't wait.

After opening the presents people started coming over and we started to eat. The dinner was good, as always when Mark cooks. I still missed my lovely Finnish Christmas dinner. Everybody loved my cake! Rest of the night we spent playing with our new cameras and being retarded with my dear host sister. Later Sarah, Shelby and Duane came and played Just Dance 2 with us, Olivia got that. It's such a fun game, I liked it even though I'm seriously the worst dancer ever. It was sooooo much fun. And Jaclyn singing and dancing at the same time is the funniest thing ever!

That was my Christmas. Next week I'm going to move.

Anniina kiittää.

PS.