Obamas Spend Quiet Christmas With Family and Friends

The White House said the first family would be joined on Christmas Day by the president's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who lives on Oahu, the island where Obama was born and spent most of his childhood. Several of Obama's childhood friends are also in town, along with family friends from Chicago, his home for most of his adult life.

On the first family's Christmas Day menu: steak, roasted potatoes, green beans and pie.

Thus far, Obama's excursions in Hawaii have been mostly to the gym and golf course. On Christmas Eve he visited the beach with his daughters.

Mrs. Obama skipped the beach so she could give some lucky children a Christmas surprise. The first lady answered calls for the "Tracking Santa" program, a Christmas tradition run by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. With help from NORAD's Santa Route Schedule, Mrs. Obama was able to tell children Santa's whereabouts as he made his Christmas Eve rounds. Read more at Star Advertiser

The Obamas Christmas Message

White House Christmas Photos 2010

 Michelle Obama reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

 Michelle Obama and pastry Chef Bill Yosses

 Obama checking his BlackBerry

 Obama in the Oval Office

 Obama family lights the national Christmas tree

 The Obamas squeeze in with an a capella group

 Bo and pastry Bo

The Obamas in front of the Blue Room tree

Obama's Schedule Dec. 9 Includes First Family National Tree Lighting

Look for a live stream of the tree lighting here.

9:30 AM	The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press
10:15 AM	The President holds a meeting with the President’s Export Council EEOB 430 Pooled Press
11:05 AM	The President meets with senior advisors Oval Office Closed Press
12:30 PM	The President and the Vice President meet for lunch Private Dining Room Closed Press
2:30 PM	The President and the Vice President receive the Economic Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press
3:35 PM	The President meets with Admiral Mullen Oval Office Closed Press
4:55 PM	The First Family attends the National Christmas Tree Lighting; The President delivers remarks Ellipse Open Press

Decorating the White House Christmas Tree Video

Michelle Obama Previews White House Christmas Tree Video

Obama Christmas Photos Take Two

See more Christmas photos here and here. Christmas video here and here and here and here.

Obamas meet Edith Childs, the Fired Up Ready to Go! inspiration lady that Obama often talked about during the campaign.
Obama meets with Denis McDonough in Hawaii on terror report
Choir at the White House
Obamas at taping of Christmas in Washington
Jill Biden volunteering at Walter Reed
Michelle Obama greets guests at holiday party

Obama's Hawaiian Roots

In Hawaii, everyone's a minority.

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Obama's Former Teacher Says Obama a Listener

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The Obamas Visit Marines in Hawaii

On Christmas day, the Obamas visited with Marines in Hawaii and the Bidens visited Walter Reed. See photos of the Obamas visit with the Marines here.

The Obamas spent about half an hour in the mess hall shaking hands with Marines and their families as they ate traditional holiday fare of turkey, ham, stuffing, corn and broccoli.

“Hi guys, Merry Christmas,” President Obama said as he entered the mess hall from a side door.

The president and the first lady went from table to table, reaching roughly a dozen, asking Marines where they were from and thanking them for their service.

“I’m proud of you guys,” Obama said at one point. The president, who was casually dressed in brown slacks and blue shirt sleeves, also chatted with a small child and autographed a picture. More at Politico

Obama Hawaii Christmas Vacation Photos 2009

More Obama Christmas photos and video here.

Updated Dec. 26: Obamas visit the Marines on Christmas day. Video of the visit here.




See more photos here.

The Obamas arrive in Hawaii. These photos were taken by the Honolulu Advertiser photogs. Check out shaved ice flavor Snowbama.
Honolulu police



Air Force One ready to take the Obamas to Hawaii. This is a beautiful photo
Getting off Air Force One
The crowd awaits the Obama family

White House Christmas Photos

Merry Christmas.
The official portrait of the President and First Lady in front of the Christmas tree in the Blue Room

Obamas enjoy Strings for Joy at holiday party
Jill Biden as the Grinch, Sam Myers as Santa
The East Garden covered in snow
The Dickens Carolers at the White House
Decorating the Blue Room Tree
Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha greet White House Christmas tree

The Obamas in Hawaii Live Stream

Live stream is over. The Secret Service gets to wear Hawaiian shirts:

The Honolulu Advertiser has a special Obama Ohana section here.

The Obamas Christmas Message 2009

Obama Girls Talk About Christmas - Video

Michelle Obama, Sasha and Malia answers questions from kids at the Children's National Medical Center. Michelle Obama also visited kids in the heart and kidney unit and read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Sasha explains about the Wishing Tree. Bo even chimes in:

Michelle Obama reads Twas the Night and Malia and Sasha read Snowmen at Night:

Obama Not Leaving For Hawaii Christmas Until Work Done

UPDATE DEC. 24: With healthcare passed in the Senate, the Obama family have left for Hawaii. Check out the Obamas Hawaii getaway here.

The healthcare vote has been moved from a nighttime vote to the morning of Christmas Eve.

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Obamas To Spend Christmas 2009 in Hawaii

Update Dec. 24: Now that health care is passed in the Senate, it's wheels up. The Obamas departed for Hawaii.

Update Dec. 23: Watch GMA video inside the Obamas getaway at Paradise Points Estate here.

Update Dec 22: Obama is not leaving on vacation until the work is done:

POTUS said he won't leave on vacation until: "I will not leave until my friends in the Senate have completed their work. My attitude is if they are making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans, the least I can do is be around and provide them any encouragement and last-minute help" they may need.

The Obama family is heading to Hawaii for Christmas. They will be staying here.

He is expected to arrive in Honolulu Dec. 23 and return Jan. 2, sources said.

Christmas in Hawaii has been an Obama tradition, although on previous trips home he visited his grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, who died November 2008. Star Bulletin

OnOahu on Twitter is covering Obama's Christmas vacation. Lucky @chucktodd has mainstream media coverage duty.

Barack Obama Christmas at the White House 2009 Video

The Obamas on Oprah's Christmas at the White House. See the entire show here.

Bo!

Obama gives himself a B+. That's what I would've given him as well:

Obama's at Christmas in Washington Taping Video

At a taping of Christmas in Washington, the Obamas get their photos taken with elves. The show airs on TNT Dec. 20:

Obama speaks at the 5:17 mark if you want to skip Rob Thomas's performance:

Obamas Attend National Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 3

White House gingerbread and Bo in the front

Update Dec. 3: Event over. Watch the Obama family light up the Christmas tree here.

Tonight at 5 pm eastern is the National Tree Lighting Ceremony, which is put on by the National Park Foundation. The Obamas will attend and so will the Bidens.
The ceremony will be live streamed here and at WhiteHouse.gov. I'm sure it will also be live streamed at cnn.com. Some of the performers: Sheryl Crow, Common, Ray LaMontagne, American Idol Jordin Sparks, jazz artist and saxophonist Joshua Redman, Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and Celtic Woman.

In other Christmas festivities: Watch Michelle Obama discuss all the decorating going on at the White House here. Watch Michelle, Malia and Sasha welcome the Blue Room Christmas tree here. The Obamas are also taping today for Oprah's White House Christmas special.