Christmas - the unwrapping

Well, it takes months, of preparing for and it's over in a flash, but i wouldn't change any of it......so let me share with you in pictures and words our couple of magical days.

I really love Christmas and all its magic and excitement of giving and sharing. My family is all the same. And we truly believe if you don't believe your don't receive. But i guess for me the excitement is more in the giving, I love the look on faces when i have managed to give that perfect gift. Tear value counts as a bonus sometimes too...

Ok be warned this is a huge mammoth post....

lets start here Christmas EVE....
Up with the sparrows - even before them I actually think, at the fruit market by 7.15 for what i thought was a 7.30am open to find that they opened much earlier.....queues out the door with trolleys....but everyone, was humming along to the carols....it was sheer bliss .....home to the prep work, i worked from my menu, and prepared anything that could be, means a less stressful big day, when all that is to be done is throw it all together.

Christmas Holiday Menu

Christmas Eve

Chips and Cheese platter on the table for drinks on arrival of the family
Garlic skewered prawns on the BBQ with a Caesar Salad (Heidi doing the salad)

Christmas Day

On waking – Tea and homemade shortbread and mince pies

During present opening - first session - Kahlua & Cream

Breakfast – Raspberry Bellini’s with Gay eggs – soccer ball ham, eggs, toast, mushroom filling

Nibbles - chips Liquorice all sorts - (mum), Mixed lollies, bullets, nuts
Lunch -
Pork pies hp sauce

Turkey – wrapped in prosciutto served with a cranberry relish

Stuffing-orange macadamia

Ham - (mum)

Pork - (Heidi)

Roast potatoes/sweet potato/ pumpkin

Cauliflower au gratin

Bean salad - from bills book

Tomato & bocconcini salad – grape tomatoes bocconcici basil and oil. Chopped and tossed

Dessert

Fruit platter

Christmas cake with custard and cream (no one had any -we were all too full)

Trifle – (mum)

Christmas night dinner

Toasted ham sandwiches (pickles & mustard)

Finally finished at 2.o'clock, sat down and played a game of Uno with the kids, started yawning, and Brian and i snuck inside for a nap before the family arrived...knowing that as soon as i closed my eyes they would arrive....Bianca snuck in and snapped these....rat bag....and yes 5mins sleep and my sister and the girls arrived.....so up and started drinking outside in the sun... talking about the weather, undecided as to if it was going to rain....looking up we found this amazing site........not quite a rainbow but a sun hallo....or something it was pretty.

Mum and dad arrived, and we sat outside, drinking and chatting - we enjoyed a yummy dinner before the kids went for a walk and checked out the lights, whilst the dishes were done. the carols went on the telly, and we all sat around and started singing, enjoying just being together.

The kids got back from their walk and we read THE book...one of our traditions....i read it and everyone listens, Jazz almost fell asleep...

Then it was time to get treats for Santa put out, and the kids were tucked up in bed. Grownups sat singing, till the kids were asleep, and then Santa visited just as we all climbed into bed......perfect timing, just on 1am, Kids were under instructions not to wake us before 5am. at 3.30 the rain poured down and i did the dash and shut all the windows. and yes one little boy had set his alarm for 5am.....so yes they were all up at 5am.

And this picture shows not only were we all not awake, neither was the camera.....the Christmas blurr at 5am.... Love the excitement on faces in this one!!!!

Oh and Christmas morning wouldn't be complete without fashion parades, even snow got a new outfit .....superdog.....LOL he was good on the catwalk....(LMAO)...Then in jumped Al - with the nerd look, those long shorts with the socks pulled up, dad even handed over his glasses to complete the look.

With so many gifts, we usually split our gift opening up into a early morning, then once the tummies start rumbling for breakfast, not that we haven't had Christmas shortbread and mince pies, but i think it is the Kahlua's and Tia's and cream, that makes the grownups need a breakie break.....so all the present wrapping is stopped for a while, whilst tidying and breakfast is made...

Lucky for us the rain had stopped, but the chairs had received a bit of wet seat....so it was towels on all seats to stop the wet bottoms.....during this time, Jazzy's face was looking worse{she had been diagnosed with ringworm 10 days earlier}, but after many discussions we decided it wasn't this, and that perhaps she was allergic to something, as it had flared up during present opening, it was decided a early visit to the hospital was in order.....gave us time, to do the dishes and have showers, get the meats in the outside ovens.

Then it was into some more unwrapping......we were all wrapped with out gifts, it was fantastic to see the excitement all around. And we all definitely got spoiled by SANTA!!!

Then it was time to set tables and put together the remainder of the meal.....gave the kids some time to chill, electronic games took this time up.

We all just get in and help, setting the table and the men in the kitchen carving the meats, Gran in her buccaneers....LMAO - as only my mum can doo.....we were all in Santa hats but nope, mum has her own ears....oh and mummy kissing Santa clause.....LOL....(one of my goals, more pictures of us as a couple....weren't any last year).

Once the table was set....oh what a sight, just look at that feast...

Then we all have different things we do around the table on the day, we have our bonbon hand shake, so that we all get hats, treats and jokes to read, my sister has a tradition of causing loads of tears, by doing the Oprah thing of being thankful at the table, well i saw these....little boxes of conversation at kiki K and just had to have them, figured we wouldn't have tears with these, but loads of laughter.....well we did have the laughter.....but we also had the tears.....but that's just the emotions of the season....then we had loads of fun, just sitting and enjoying the afternoon. laughing and goofing off..

Boxing day - saw us head on over to a friends house for dunch.....yes the late dinner style lunch, with loads of games and laughter......and there isn't many photos of the day, as we were all having tooo much fun, but i love this one the best, my mum and my daughter having a giggle fest....

Well if you have lasted this long, i hope you have enjoyed my day with me, as much as my family & i enjoyed it on the days......hugs and merry Christmas...