Since December 1st, there have been plenty of Christmas traditions happening here on base. First was the base Tree Lighting Ceremony last Saturday. I don't know how Santa arrives on base at other installations, but here the tradition is that he arrives by helicopter! Elves (Marines) fast-rope out of the chopper and set up a security perimeter. The bird lands, and then Santa disembarks into a fire truck, which drives him to the NEX parking lot! I couldn't get very detailed pictures of the event because the kids were going crazy and were SO excited about Santa that I was concerned about losing them in the crowd!
Once Santa landed, the festivities in front of the NEX continued for another hour before the tree lighting. There were dancers and Christmas music, as well as free candy canes, cookies and hot chocolate being given out. Of course my children thought that as amazing! So they enjoyed their treats while we greeted many neighbors and friends. 
Then we headed closer to the tree to await the lighting. I was surprised we were able to get a front-row spot! Danny said it was the biggest tree he ever saw. The kids danced around, spinning to the music, and helping with the countdown.
Then, with a giant lever, Santa and the base commander lit up the tree! It was beautiful! The kids loved it! Now every time we drive by they talk about it.
On Tuesday, I was happy to be able to attend the annual Tables for Ten dinner. This is an event organized by the Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC), but it is open to any ladies, American or Spanish, in the Rota community. The chapel common room is filled with tables, and each one has a different theme, Christmas-y or otherwise. Each table had a chance to present their theme, some with funny dances, others with poems. Each table enjoys dinner, then the room reads the Christmas story in English and Spanish, and sings Christmas carols together.
It was an evening full of fun! My table's theme was 'fake fast food." The hosts looked up recipes from all kinds of food chains in the US that we obviously don't have here, and they did a great job of re-creating foods like Olive Garden salad, Red Lobster biscuits, Chick-fil-a nuggets, and Boston market mac and cheese. It was delicious! They even got hats from What-a-burger and centerpieces from Jack-in-the-Box. We finished it off with Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. Such a fun and festive evening. I had a great time!
Wednesday there was a 5K run to benefit the Toys for Tots. This is a great charity program organized by the Marine Corps. People donate unwrapped toys, and the Marines distribute them to needy families. You can find them in almost any city in the US, so it was wonderful to find it here too. It was the first time Dan and I ran together, pushing both strollers. Of course he had to jog leisurely to match my pace, but it was fun being together, and we actually finished in 33 minutes, which is my best time with a stroller! The kids got cookies afterwards, and I actually won a large pizza in the drawing afterwards! That feels a little counter-productive, because there is no way a 3 mile run equals a large pizza. But hey, I'm sure we will find a time to enjoy that during this busy season. There are more Christmas events planned on base and out in town, so stay tuned! :-)
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