update

December 2010

Sunday School Presentation at church. Josh getting his certificate from our Pastor and his sunday school teacher (who just happens to also be his nanna)

Malakai looking very serious standing at the front of the church with his sunday school class...

Then he must have thought a little entertainment was in order! He has the cheekiest sense of humour :)

We did our annual drive around looking at the Christmas lights. One of my absolute favourite traditions. This year we had no one scared of Santa - just lots of excitement and even some smiling for the camera lol!

I participated in my first ever cookie swap this Christmas. I'll admit I obsessed over it a little since I'd read about them on US blogs for quite a while and was excited about being a part of one. But then I got sick that week and although I made my trees, I didn't get to go to the swap :( I experimented with finding the best cookie dough, and I definitely found a keeper. I LOVED these cookies! Kinda like shortbread but easier to use with cookie cutters.


I also made my first ever trifle this Christmas!! I have always HATED trifle, but then Donna Hay put a whole heap of recipes in her Christmas edition and they looked so gorgeous I just couldn't resist giving them a try. I am officially converted, at least to this particular one! It was dead easy to make and absolutely delicious (and the cake wasn't soggy - probably because I only assembled it minutes before serving...yes I was paranoid about soggy cake!!) And there is cake in there, it's just hiding under all that yummy custard ;)

Christmas day was lovely, and the kids got COMPLETELY spoiled! On Boxing Day one of my best friends came to stay and we had the nicest week of reading and watching Austen movies!! HEAVEN! What an awesome end to 2010 :)

Have a blessed Christmas everyone!!

I didn't get to sending out Christmas cards this year :( so here's my 'eco-friendly' version! (or slack version, depending on your perspective lol)

I can't believe Christmas day is tomorrow! YAY!! I actually got a MAJOR present early, I can't wait to share ;) I'm very excited!! I hope you all have a fantastic day tomorrow enjoying time with your families and friends and celebrating the birth of our precious saviour.

oh wow

I SO want to make one of these from the Martha Stewart website!! Plus a thousand other things lol!!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was wonderful. Aaron made ham and eggs for breakfast and we sang happy birthday to Jesus before we opened gifts. Malakai really liked his Pooh Bear teddy from Nanna and Josh tended to really like whatever Malakai got :)

We enjoyed our time together before the rest of the family arrived for lunch...mmm...we had turkey and ham and oysters and prawns and salads and of course Aaron's awesome Christmas pudding (which used to be my Grandma's Christmas pudding but she said he makes it just as good as she did - a major compliment! and I totally agree)

Opening presents with all the family was a little chaotic but lots of fun too.

Then of course the kids got in the pool - thankfully it was the first day this summer that was actually really good pool weather :)

That night when everyone had gone and the boys were in bed, Aaron and I enjoyed a candlelit dinner - just the 2 of us :) it was such a nice way to finish off Christmas day.

finally got a photo to upload

I have been trying to get blogger to let me upload photos and it just wouldn't. So I tried to just upload one and here it is, Josh with the singing polar bear on Christmas Eve :)

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas :)

We had a great day here starting the night before with church on Christmas Eve and then checking out the Christmas lights in Bonython and Gordon (eating chocolates in the car was a really nice last minute idea that I think we'll do every year - no special meaning behind it but it was fun driving around together and eating chocolate)

We met up with a few friends at the Christmas lights too :) seems everyone had similar ideas

The best thing about seeing the Christmas lights would have to be Josh's reaction. He got so excited and even remembered the singing/dancing polar bear from the house in Bonython from last year :) I was so impressed, wish my memory was that good!

When we got home we put the presents under the tree. We decided we wouldn't have any presents out on display before Christmas Day at all this year and we'll definitely make that an annual thing. We just stash them away wherever they'll fit and then bring them all out on Christmas eve after the kids are in bed and that way there seems to be a little less emphasis on what they might be getting.

Blogger must be having an overload or something cause I've tried to upload photos twice and it won't let me :( so I'll leave it and try again tomorrow.

Christmas around our home...

...the little people nativity that the boys can play with...

...a pink angel that a student gave me one year - there's a little candle you light behind it...very cute :)

...we bought this joy ornament this year at a sale, then I thought it would look a little funny on the tree so I stuck in on the door instead. We also had peace and hope, but they were in a different style and we returned them cause basically, they were ugly!

Our Christmas cards on the stairs

...my favourite thing about this nativity is that Mary is holding Jesus. I know that having Jesus in the manger is very accurate, but for some reason it just seems so special that Mary is holding Him in this nativity...

that's just a few things we've done this year. I love the idea of greenery 'garland' type things, but really don't have anywhere (except maybe the banister on the stairs) to put one. Next year I'd like to get a little more into the whole decorating thing, haven't felt all that inspired to decorate this year! lol

I'm also waiting to see if I can get a decent pic of the tree at night with the lights on...we've really enjoyed spending nights sitting in the lounge with just the tree lights on lately, it's so peaceful.