Picture this.......Friday 19th December, Maz and Bruce still haven't bought one single Christmas present, no food for Christmas, NOTHING! I was having heart failures and having a little panic attack....especially as we were hosting Christmas at our house for Bree, Mick and the girls, as well as Bruce's family. Around 13 adults and 3 children.......and nothing prepared, crikey!
So off to the shops we went after my hairdressers appointment on Friday morning, vowing not to return home until all the shopping had been done. We arrived home at 6pm with most of the shopping done, and a list of things that we still had to buy....but at least we now had a list.
Saturday morning saw me up bright and early and off to finish the rest of the shopping on my own. I was back home triumphant at 9.45am. ALL DONE!!! Saturday afternoon Bree came round to wrap all her pressies (not safe to be left at her house), and I got all mine wrapped too. Whew!
We had arranged to eat Christmas lunch outside under the verandah, as there isn't enough room in our little house to seat all these people and still allow Bruce to get around in the wheelchair. The forecast was for a cool Christmas Day....we were keeping our fingers crossed.
I took Christmas Eve off work so that Bruce and I could prepare some of the food, bake, and set up for the following day. Everyone brings food too, so we never go short, in fact there is usually far too much food, but it doesn't stop us always having to make one extra thing! It never goes to waste.
Christmas morning Bree and the girls arrived followed by Mick and Ashlee. It is an early morning because the girls open most of their presents at our house, and its unfair to keep them waiting too long. This makes Christmas day for Bruce and I, we love watching the kids open their pressies.
After taking pics of the present openings, I put my camera down and didn't pick it up again for the rest of the day. I just seemed to be so busy, I forgot.......can you believe it? I am kicking myself now because I don't have any photo's of Christmas lunch, no pictures of the DS addict, the tipsie one, the sleeping rellie, the X Box competitors, the first ever bike ride on a 2 wheeler bike, the walk around the lake on a far too hot day. I have no pictures, but I do have the memories. So my challenge now is to do a scrapbook layout with no pictures, just journalling, so that I can keep those memories forever.....oh! and a big reminder for next year NOT to let that camera out of my sight........and USE IT!
Here are some of my favourite pics from Christmas Day:
Pheobe with the new dress she got from Aunty Gill. Don't you just love that cute little face????
Arrrhhhh! What about this cute little face too? Bruce with his charity teddy bear and CBR gift certificate from Bree and the girls.
Chloe opening one of her presents. I don't know what the orange glow is, but suspect it is the glow from the wrapping paper. Look how fast her hands are working...they are nothing but a blur.
Ashlee, our little present opening champ. She was a blur in most of the pics I took, this is the only one where you can actually make out it is Ashlee lol!
Bree was SOOOOO excited to get her present from Bruce and I....an external hard drive (1TB).
Bree was SOOOOO excited to get her present from Bruce and I....an external hard drive (1TB).
Now we can look forward to lots more new kits from her, with no excuses that her *%^&$%^$
computer is overloaded yet again. ROFL!!!!
Mick (with a lot of help from Ashlee) opening his present from Bruce and I....a new fish tank and everything to set it up......including a gift voucher for the fish. He was rapt!
Mick and Ashlee in a quiet moment.
We had a fabulous Christmas. It was hot, so we sweated and sweltered over lunch (so much for the weather forecast) but we had our family and loved one's around us, and to me, that is what Christmas is all about........being together, and being thankful that we are able to all be together. That is something so precious and special.
What a wonderful day you were able to have with your family! I am so envious. This time of year I get really lonesome for them! Maybe next year they will come to us...we're planning it and hoping!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post! Reading your words and seeing the pictures is almost like being there with you! Thank you for sharing your Christmas with us! I was also very touched when I saw that you've added Olathe, Colorado to your "World Clocks"!!! Thank you so much, Maz!! Even though we live in this tiny place, you've made it seem like "someplace"!! :)
ReplyDeleteThat was beautiful Mum!! Even with the heat and the migraine, it was a fantastic day and I couldn't think of a better way to have spent it!! Thankyou so much for all of the work you did to make it that way!!Oh, and I'm already planning payback for that awful photo......SO WATCH OUT MISSY!!!!!!
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