Christmas Fun

We had a wonderful Christmas Day yesterday with lots of great food, good company and some wonderful presents. Here are a few photos from our day.

I love books and Mum and Dad gave me this great set - 'The complete works of Banjo Patterson & Henry Lawson'

Fairy Magic happened in our house

My new fairy

Ivan, Elizabeth and I sharing a cuddle

Cleo enjoying the paper - we had as much fun watching her play as unwrapping the gifts

Matthew and I sharing a special moment as we gave him his Banjo

Brian with his gift from Elizabeth

Matthew bought Sarah a Chocolate Fountain which we all enjoyed

and I love this photo of Mum enjoying a strawberry dipped in chocolate - it was fun.

Christmas 2011 was a good one for our family - hope you had a good one as well.

Only 2 sleeps to go!

 All of my Christmas wrapping is completed and I am so excited to give the gifts that I have chosen for everyone - finding that special something is wonderful and the feeling of Joy on Christmas morning when you watch the face of your loved one as they open the gift - is beyond special.

 There are gifts beneath the tree - some for the neighbours and some that we will open on Christmas Eve - it is our tradition to open gifts from friends at this time, so they can be appreciated.

And of course the Nativity scene is waiting for us to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus - 'Away in a Manger' is one of my favourite Christmas hymns and it reminds us that this is a celebration of a wonderful tradition passed down to us from the Three Wise Men who came bearing gifts.

My gift and wish for you all is a Joyful Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

On the 'whatever' day of Christmas . . .

we went to the Ballet.

This has been a strange and wonderful week.

First of all Sunday I took the two girls to the youth ballet to see 'The Nutcracker' - just beautiful.

Then yesterday I spent a couple of hours in the city getting my root canal finished - at 2pm i didn't think I would make it to the ballet, but a couple of hours sleep meant that I felt better and I love drugs - just Nurofen but it sure helped.

Here are a couple of photos of us all dressed up to head to see 'Swan Lake'

Sarah, Elizabeth, Beverly, Dorothy & Brian all dressed up

The Girls

And a photo with Ivan, who didn't come to the ballet, but had his photo with his girls

Now in keeping with this strange week, we received the programme at the ballet, and discovered that it wasn't 'Swan Lake' well not as we know it.  It was the story of a Russian ballet dancer in the time of the last Csar of Russia. She falls in love with Nicholas and it is based on their story. It did have scenes of Swan Lake in it; but I was furious - everyone had come along to see Swan Lake. Nothing in the advertising had hinted that it was anything but the traditional Swan Lake.

Well - I am so glad and blessed that we didn't know that it was an adaptation, otherwise we would have missed this amazing ballet performed by the Queensland Ballet. What a FANTASTIC evening of dance and theatre. The performances were outstanding, especially the dancer who performed the role of Rasputin.  What an evening of pure bliss.

So on this 'whatever day of Christmas' my True Love gave to be . . . an amazing evening at the ballet.

And a tooth that's healing really well.

On the First day of Christmas

On the First Day of Christmas my True Love gave to Me . . .

A King Parrot sitting in my Tree.

Dressed in Christmas Colours

This one is empty

And so is this one

Okay enough photos - I just want to eat!

Wishing you all a Christmas filled with Joy and Love and amazing gifts - as beautiful as this one that nature gave me this morning.

6 Days and counting

I am getting really excited - it is only 6 days to Christmas morning.

Yesterday we started our Christmas week with a lovely day.  Leslie and Frank(family friends) came up to pick up Margaret, who was staying with Mum and Dad.  I haven't seen Leslie since I was in my teens and she hasn't changed. The lovely thing was that she said the same about Me!  It was wonderful to talk to someone from my childhood and she remembered my beautiful doll Belinda - perhaps the only person in the whole world who would remember this doll. 

The girls and I then went to see the Brisbane Youth Ballet's performance of 'The Nutcracker' - a truly magical way to start the Christmas week.  The performance was excellent and the costumes out of this world.

Today we are all having our haircut - with our lovely friend Hayley. Matthew is then working this afternoon and I have some chores to do, including putting in the application for a new sewerage system - oh what a lot of S**t!  Still we have hopefully found a good company that is going to fix the problem for once and for all, in late January.

I also need to call the Termite Man as we have discovered a huge nest on one of the wooden posts in the pool filter cover box. Just another chore for the day.

Tomorrow - Tuesday I am spending the morning in the city having my tooth fixed - then coming home, picking up the family and attending the ballet - Swan Lake.

On Wednesday I have a day at home and on Thursday I have to take Matt for his final orthodontic appointment of the year.

Friday is cleaning day and Saturday is my favourite day of the year - Christmas Eve. I love the anticipation of Christmas.

So my week is busy, but filled with lovely (and not so lovely) things to do. Counting down the days with Joy.

14 Days and Counting

Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks until Christmas Eve - for me the official start of Christmas. I love the anticipation of Christmas Eve, knowing that the following day is Christmas Day, makes Christmas Eve even more special.

I have begun wrapping gifts and today even posted off my two parcels to friends in other parts of the country. All my baking is complete and I feel as though the festive season is in the air.

Ivan took the girls for a walk around the neighbourhood tonight to see the lights - we are one of about 5 houses that have lights up for Christmas and when they returned - they all agreed that ours look pretty good. What a lovely feeling!

The next two weeks are filled with special things - I have a dentist appointment - oh goodie! A sore tooth that is going to need a filling - so that I can enjoy my Christmas dinner and hopefully lots of chocolates. I also have a hair appointment, so that my Christmas photos will be pretty.

But, seriously I am also taking the girls to see 'The Nutcracker Ballet' on Sunday 18th and then on Tuesday 20th we are going to see 'Swan Lake' - the joy of the Theatre at Christmas.

I have two weeks of Joy ahead with nothing that I have to do, have to achieve, or have to buy. Everything is ready and I am going to relax and enjoy it all.

How are your plans for Christmas coming along?  Are you counting down yet?

Baking Day

Although I am still struggling with my sore throat; today was Christmas Baking Day.

It was a very, very hot day and I struggled with the pastry today, even working with it straight from the fridge - it was so soft; but we had lots of fun and managed to make around ten dozen Christmas Mince pies.

Olivia joined Elizabeth, Sarah and I in our Christmas Baking

Sarah in her new glasses and Christmas Apron

Pastry rolling in the heat - a challenge

Yummy fudge and Christmas Mince pies

Christmas and Kittens

 Cleo loves Christmas as much as the rest of us, in fact I am beginning to think it is going to be as exciting as having a young baby.  When my children were just crawling I would block their access to the tree, but with a kitten it is proving more difficult, although just as much fun.

 See Mummy - my claws and paws are hidden - I am just looking.

And if I can't see you - then maybe you won't see me.

She is so cute it is hard to stay mad at her and when I catch her and talk to her, she lies on her back and meows sorry, but then runs straight  back to play.

Oh well the joys of Christmas and Kittens

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Today we started the magic of Christmas.

Sarah, Elizabeth and I spent the most wonderful morning putting up the Christmas Tree. Last week we had a family discussion about how magical our house is now feeling since we de-cluttered and renovated and part of me was reluctant to put up the decorations, because the house usually feels very cluttered.

So we made a decision to aim for a more streamlined decorating style - not sure we achieved that; but we did assess every decoration. Instead of putting it up and out because we own it, we put things up that felt right and perfect and the result is just wonderful.

Here are some photos:

Our tree

Light up my life

Feeling Christmassy

Girls just wanna have fun

Of course the Nutcrackers are ready and waiting

And when Ivan came home from work he put the Angel on top

We have a few special decorations that we do together

And the Boys have theirs

So with the Blessings of our Christmas Angel and the Spirit of Christmas - I wish you all a Joyful and Blessed Christmas Season

Only 32 Days to Christmas

This year I am struggling to get into the Christmas Spirit - very, very unusual for me.

Working so hard on the renovations, getting everything ready for Ivan's return from his trip, writing my book and all other things have stepped in the way and I am FRUSTRATED!

I love Christmas, I love the preparation, the decorations, the shopping, the baking and everything else; but I can't seem to connect this year.

So, this morning I put on a Christmas CD (Celtic Woman - lovely) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDnZyVMhzUk&feature=related  and I sorted out my Christmas purchases - Hmm need to do a little extra shopping for one or two special people. Sang along to the music and got in the groove.

I am also going to get out the decorations today - bring them up from the garage, so tomorrow on a full day at home, I can begin to transform my house into a magical Christmas Wonderland.

Look out for some photos.

How are your Christmas preparations going?