Daisy Chains and Picnics

Christmas day was spent at home, just the 5 of us, no hassles, no travelling. Cerys was the first up after Scott and I, so she watched some T.V until Jodie got up then they started opening presents. I made the usual Christmas day breakfast of Cointreau french bread found  here . I also made the usual gingerbread Christmas pikelets. Darren got up and we opened the gifts under the tree. Scott and I started on the dinner. We had slow roasted pork with crackling, beer and maple ham, roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, veg and salad, and pavlova for dessert. Cerys' haul After lunch we opened our secret Santa's, played games and relaxed. When you find a sneaky selfie on your new phone 😅 Gifts from the kids. All in all it was a lovely day spent with my most favourite people.  How was your Christmas?

On Christmas eve we did some last minute food shopping. I set the table for Christmas day. I cooked the ham ready for tomorrow. We chose our ugly socks that we had to wear all Christmas day. We had nibbles for tea, then went a drive around the neighbourhood to look at the lights. Christmas eve tea. The table set ready for the big day. Hamish all set for Christmas day 🐶 The ugly socks wrapped up ready to choose. The socks we ended up with. Our chalet lit up for Christmas. Waiting for Santa.

Celebrating Christmas in the heat of the Australian summer is obviously completely different to the Christmases we celebrated in the cold winter in Scotland, don't get me wrong, we LOVE the fact that we can spend the run up to Christmas enjoying picnics and BBQ's on the beach watching the kids on their floats bobbing up and down in the ocean, the endless warm evenings sitting in the garden sipping wine, but I find it's the little things from spending the best part of 39 years celebrating Christmas in Scotland I miss.... -picking Holly for decorations -brussel sprouts for Christmas lunch veg -frost patterns on the windows -the possibility of snow -heating up your hands on a steaming mug of hot chocolate -a roaring fire -chestnuts -switching on the Christmas lights in the afternoon and getting the benefit due to the early dark evenings  -hot toddies -snuggled up in warm blankets early evening to watch Christmas movies -shopping in the dark afterno...