During our recent two month trip to America we were able to spend some good visit time with all of our fgamily, which was really a gift. _A few days after Thanksgiving, we were driving around Iven’s small hometown looking for something fun to do, to make a memory with Iven’s 17 year old sister Ally. In the parking lot of the local drug store an idea hit us, and we ran in to buy a Christmas tree – which would soon become known as our “hostage”. _Tightly bound and stuffed in a seldom used bathtub, hidden behind the shower curtain, the poor little creature waited almost a whole week before we got around to decorating it, all behind the parents’ backs. The night we finally rescued our “Christmas hostage” from the bathtub was just 5 hours before we had to get up and leave for the airport. _It was a fun, slightly mischeivious little home-based adventure with Ally and a total surprise to Iven’s parents, who awoke the next morning and found that although we were already on our way back to Thailand, we left behind some memorable Christmas cheer.