Merry Christmas!!

I hope that all have had the most wonderful Christmas. I realize that people are on their own and it makes me sad. This week at work I had a lady come in who would have been in her late 60's who was going to be on her own. If I knew her a bit better I would have loved to have invited her to our house for lunch..... It made me feel so sad for her.

 Our Tree... (note my present wrapped in Strongbow cartons, love you Macca!! LOL!!)

Mia was so excited she was literally bouncing off the furniture!! lol!! 

Lexi opening a present, and below I love the excitement on her face! Precious!!

New bikes, thanks Santa!!!

The crazy scene in our living room... Presents paper, coffee, and afterwards ham and cheese croissants.

Brenton was pretty happy with his Berenberg hot chilli sauce from Mum and Dad!! We are easy to please!!

Can't beat a man on Christmas Day with a beer in his hand and meat in the weber!! Happy!! 

Lunchtime we had Brenton's family here, I made 2 delicious salads which I am still eating today!! I will not throw them out yet. What's not eaten tommorow I will have to but I will most certainly have a red hot go at finishing them off.

Above is a gorgeous mixed bean salad. Truly good. 

And below is a roast pumpkin, rocket and feta salad. And Lauren Boase will be please to note that both have chickpeas in them! Oh yes!! 

Mia and her smaller cousins eating and playing!! 


And Mia with her presents from Aunty Keryn and co.... 

Lexi got a cute little Santa's helper dress up from Aunty Keryn and co. She loved it!! And was very cute in it too!!

Mia looking gorgeous and grown up with her Christmas chocolates!! YUMMY!! Not sure how many are left! 

I tried to get a self portrait on Christmas Day and this is the best of a bad bunch, but the funny thing is is that I really do love them all. Just us, a lil bit crazy, and I like us like that!

Mum, Dad, Michael, Anele and Ethan came back for dinner and the two littlies sat up at the counter on my brand new counter stools that Brenton surprised me with for Christmas and ate their icecream cake!! These two are very cute together and more than a little ratbat-ish... Bless....


I'm looking forward to the New Year. Last year I chose a word, can't even remember what it was now, but this new year coming, for me, will be all about getting back to basics. More photos of our everyday life, more scrapping, more cooking, more blogging and keeping up with the garden. Talk to my friends afar more often and just re-ground myself. This time of the year is a busy time, so I'm not sure if I feel out of whack from that, or just a new and different year altogether, with big changes for us as a family happening in 2011. 2012 will be more grounded. 

I sincerely hope that anyone who comes to visit my blog had a lovely Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year.... 

If you visit, leave me a comment and let me know your plans for 2012.. I am interested you know!! 

xxxx

Time is just slipping past me!! 

A little of what has been happening....

 My sick Mia on Sunday, she is still not so good. I have a Dr appointment tommorow for myself but am going to take Mia instead, she will be onto day 5 tommorow of being unwell and I know my Dr will take blood to see if there is anything underlying. The two other Drs we have seen were not interested. Shits me to tears, the Drs were ok, but made me feel like a jumpy mother which I am most certainly not, just concerned with her recent bout of pneumonia.... 

Stories last week with Daddy. They love it!! 

 I have been back into cooking more since Brenton has been home. I marinated some chicken with garlic, ginger, chilli, and some oil. I would have used sesame oil but don't have any atm. I also managed to make the best fried rice of my career. Even Mia thought it was great and she is hard to please in the fried rice dept. I used my rice cooker to cook the rice and then spread it on an oven tray and popped in the oven to dry out a bit. Grated carrot, zucchini, onion, egg, peas and corn, some light soy and some sweet soy sauce, and it was a winner. I took the leftover to a bbq the next night for a salad. Two birds with one stone, gotta love that!!

And so this was going to be a mammoth post but will leave it here for now!!! Be back soon!!