Party time!

For the past two weeks, we'd been planning on attending my work party for Joint Project for Sunday School Materials this past Thursday at 5pm. Then about a week ago, I learned that the Evangel Hospital Christmas party would be the same night at 6:30. On Tuesday, I got a text from a coworker at ACTS asking if I could come to the company Christmas party Thursday at 4pm. Crazy! I informed my coworker that we wouldn't be able to come to the ACTS party, that we were already attending two that evening!

So we geared up for an evening of partying--Nigerian style. This means lots of speeches, special numbers, and food! Our Joint Project party started late--to be expected--because our CEO got lost on the way to the venue. We sang some carols, did a craft with the angel's words to the shepherds in Luke, then had introductions of families, and we ate. Mmm yum! There was an assortment of Nigerian and Western food, from pounded yam and moi-moi to roasted potatoes and gravy. And my mom's helper, Sarah, had made us some zobo, a dark red drink made from dried flowers. We had to miss dessert to go home to our next party!

We showed up there around 7:30. The party location was lovely--the front yard of one of our missionary houses, with lights strung up, tables spread out, and candles and oil lamps on the tables. Beautiful! The director of training was making a speech, so we sat and listened. Poor Luke was pretty restless, having had to sit still through much of the last party. Then we sang three carols--almost all the verses--a capella and were dismissed to eat. I didn't even bother going through the food line, having just eaten, but Luke and David went through again, and David got me some fried plantain. Yum! While we were eating, there were a few more speeches. Then the chaplain got up to give an exhortation. By this time it was 8:30, and Luke was supposed to be in bed! So we left quietly and went home, exhausted.

Then yesterday, I'd planned a party of my own for my friend Marc. I was inspired by something friends had done for my friend Linda (Darjean People) and decided to surprise Marc by showing up with Christmas cheer and a few other friends. We brought a 2" fake tree, ornaments, eggnog, sugar cookie dough, cookie cutters, music, sugar plum spice tea, and games. Ruth even wore her Santa hat! We had a lot of fun, and I personally think Marc's tiny house looks better with its tiny Christmas tree! The picture shows Marc and George cookie-cutting (with Luke in background). Both said they'd never ever made Christmas cookies before! Crazy! David had a good time reading Marc's books. *sigh* Terry decorated the sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles all the way from the States. (Apparently, sprinkles are called "hundreds and thousands" in the UK.) He'd never heard of cream cheese frosting. And he and his wife Ruth (pictured with Timothy) had never had eggnog! So it was an evening of firsts.

So we are ALL PARTIED OUT. Exhausted. Fatigued. Socialised to a crisp. No more parties!! (Oh wait, I do have guests coming for lunch tomorrow...And we're having friends bring pizza and a movie tomorrow night...) Help!