Christmas 2014

For the first time in years we stayed home to celebrate Christmas Day.  In previous years we've always gone to my parents, or one year we went to a restaurant, or around my sister-in-laws. But this year we wanted to stay home, we invited my mother-in-law, and also we invited our granddaughter's, Summer's farther around.  As my readers know, Summer lives with us, and to make things easier for her, we agreed to invite my step-son around for dinner, so she gets to spend time with him on Christmas day. He came around early evening after he'd finished worked, had the dinner we put aside for him, and gave Summer her presents and then spent a couple of hours playing with her. She was so very happy and that is what Christmas day is about, family and the children.

So how did our day go?

Summer woke-up first, just before 9am (later than I thought they would wake-up).  We sent Summer downstairs first to see if 'Santa' had been, and she came running up shouting 'Presents' the older two were still in bed, so she bundle into their bedrooms 'Wake-up Li, Li' - I don't think he moved, as she said it again, and again, until she was shouting 'WAKE-UP LI, LI"  and that got him up (teenagers!) then it was Lewis "wake-up lou, lou'. Jacob was already up, so we all went downstairs and opened up our presents together.  

Mid-morning my parents came around with my youngest brother with more presents - they stayed for a while before heading home.

After dinner my sister popped in with more presents, and then my step-daughter and her other-half, then one of my other brothers and his wife popped in with even more presents. It was like this all day, family popping in and out to the kids delight, they had plenty of presents to open what seemed like non-stop until 7pm.

What we had for dinner:

I had fun dressing the table, making it as Christmassy and festive, for all to enjoy.  I made the starters, the adults opted for a prawn cocktail, the kids didn't want a starter, so Paul, I and my mother-in-law sat and enjoyed the starters, but not in peace, the two youngest joined us, both Jacob and Summer, ate the bread (and Jacob spreads cranberry sauce on his bread, so Summer did the same). 

Then came the turkey, we all sat around the table together (I think for the first time this year), and ate, pulled crackers, chattered, and laughed.  Then for afters, although we couldn't eat them until later as we were all so full, we had the profiteroles. Yum.

In the evening the kids were up playing in their rooms, and Paul and I were so knackered we just slumbered down on the sofa and watched a movie.

It was the perfect day, the children were so happy, and jolly throughout the whole day, it was special a one.