Journal Your Christmas

Day 15 - 25
This year I was able to decorate a 'mantle'. Not really a mantle, we don't have a fireplace, but this is the next best thing. When Mum shifted to a new place I inherited her gorgeous mahogany sideboard, so I could decorate it!! like a mantle! fun!

In Port Waikato we have an annual Christmas Parade. It is very well supported by the community and seems to get bigger each year. We set up our chairs at the front gate with some nibbles and drinks and wait for the parade to come by. It's a lot of fun and the kids love it. Everyone throws lollies and the local Fire Brigade lead the way. All the locals groups put in a float and go to a lot of trouble. It's great. Pity it goes by so quickly.

In the days up to the weekend I spent them last minute shopping and last minute cooking. Making fruit cake and lolly cake. Buying supplies for Christmas day food. I was making a cheesecake for lunch at Mums and a salad for dinner at Rob's family. And buying those last few special gifts.
On Friday the 20th we headed down to Emma's in Taupo for the weekend to have Christmas with her and for my birthday on Saturday. So I needed to be fully organized by then.
We took down all our Christmas presents and some other supplies. On Saturday, my birthday, we got up early to have Christmas presents before Emma went to work. James and Kat gave me a lovely punch bowl and glasses, so we made sangria for our BBQ get together on Saturday night. Rob cooked a beautiful ham on the BBQ. Yum!!

We had a wonderful time in Taupo, the weather was great! On Sunday we spent the afternoon at the lake, Emma's Rob had a small rubber dinghy that we had a ball in. It was just so good to be together, having fun and so many laughs. Then we went to see the Hunger Games Catching Fire movie on Sunday night. I've been wanting to see it but had no one to go with, so that was a bonus. Such a good movie!! We headed home after lunch on Monday.

That brings us to Christmas Day. We headed off early yesterday morning to Mum's for lunch. This is kind of a tradition with us, that we have lunch with my family and dinner with Rob's family. Though I can see it starting to change a little as our young ones grow up and have their own families. I believe that Christmas is totally about family and I love to devote that one day to family.

Mum has a new kitten and it kept us entertained for hours while we were there. So cute!!

So that about wraps it up. It's Boxing Day here in NZ today, and everyone is sleeping in, so I thought I'd catch up on this journal. A lazy day today, eating leftovers and enjoying the day with James and Kat before they head off on their holidays.

A last photo Emma sent me yesterday as she couldn't be with us.

 Happy Christmas!!