Currarong to Tahmoor

A Merry Australian Christmas!

We returned to Tahmoor after a week of fun and play down the coast, and readied ourselves for Christmas!

WE had a very full week of family picnic's and BBQ's, and trying to catch up with everybody. It really is good to be back home with the family this time of year, it's making the sadness of the trips end a little more easy to bare Bec recons.

Isabella's first Christmas

Christmas Eve had us preparing everything ready for tomorrow's great day of fun and food! That evening, Adam (Bec's brother) and Courtney were doing a BBQ dinner for both families (his and hers), so we all enjoyed a beautiful dinner of steaks, prawns, salads, and drinks. Mmm, Mmm....... Unfortunately we had to return home early as there was still lots to do, not to mention trying to get a very excited Scarlett to bed early. Before she hit the hay, she placed cookies and milk on the table for Santa, and Nana read her "An Australian Night Before Christmas" - something she has done for Scarlett every year since she had been born. We all kissed her good night, and then got to work! There were presents to find and unhide, others that still needed wrapping, and the bigger ones needed building. And somehow we had to get them all under the tree!

We somehow finished everything and were all in bed by 11pm, and hoped that Scarlett would sleep in.... Yeah right!

As we expected, she was up by 5am and was running through the house waking everybody up! Santa had found us and delivered lots and lots of presents!
The cookies were eaten, and the glass of milk was empty!

Scarlett and her dolls house

Somehow Scarlett stopped herself from tearing open presents, and waited patiently for everyone to wake up and gather in the lounge room.

While she was waiting though, she started sorting through all the presents and placing them in groups of who was going to get what - she can be so organised sometimes...

 

Scarlett helping Isabella with her gifts

The girls all got new handbags

The first pressie she spied even before she reached the tree was the huge dolls house! She was wrapped, and let everyone know it. It was the perfect size for all her barbies! She then only opened two presents, as Adam, Courtney and Isabella were coming down to join us. I was so proud of her wanting to wait for them to join in for the present opening, and breakfast. While Scarlett waited, she played with her dolls house, and we started building a new Lego piece that she received. She loves her Lego!

Russell (aka Grumpy) with his magic flaming wallet we brought him

Soon everyone arrived, and we all sat around while presents were handed out to everyone. This is a great tradition that Bec's parents have, and Scarlett loved being able to read the present tags and hand them out too! Being this was also Isabella's first Christmas, it was extra special for Adam and Courtney and our family too. I think Nana and Grumpy really enjoyed having their two kids with their two girls all gathered around the Christmas tree, as I could see the joy in their eyes.

Christmas day was amazing; started with a beautifully home made bircher muesli with stewed plums, followed by a scrumptious cooked hot breakfast! It felt like we had just finished breakfast, when we immediately started cooking lunch - with a beautifully cooked roast in the BBQ, and dishes upon dishes of sides of salads, prawns, and pasta. I was already bloated, but how could I possibly say no to more food as it kept appearing from nowhere all day long? Yummy!

Tricia, Marie and Wendy enjoying mango daiquiris

We were invited over to Wendy's friends place Marie's for dinner, so we all 'waddled' in and enjoyed another fabulous meal of chicken, salads and prawns once more!

Scarlett really enjoyed being back in a familiar environment, surrounded by family and friends. It really made her Christmas special, as its all she really asked for for Christmas. I'm sure she didn't mind the loads of presents she received though....

Post Script: Bec had shopped online this year for Christmas presents as we were still on the road when the mid year sales were on. At the time we thought it was a great idea, but unfortunately it didn't quite work out the way we had hoped as a trampoline we ordered back in July still hadn't arrived by Christmas Eve! Luckily we overcompensated on presents and Scarlett wasn't aware of the missing present, but the point is it should never of happened! (I'm writing this in mid January - and it still hasn't arrived. Big W is blaming Australia Post, and they in turn are blaming Big W).

That's a couple of hundred dollars we'll never get back!