Merry Xmas 2014

Xmas Day is always a great day of the year.  Its a time to reflect on the past year and recognise the good, the bad and even the ugly.  Most of all, it's a time to spend with your whanau and friends, relax and enjoy each other's company.

Each year our whanau has a bit of a tradition.  Every morning we are awoken by my husband, who I must admit is the biggest kid in my home.  (although it's not a bad thing to be young at heart .. regardless of your age).  Anyway ... he generally wakes up about 1 minute past midnight .. and fights the urge all night NOT to wake us up until at least 6 am.  Then with his excitement, we are awoken where we congregate around the xmas tree and and open our presents.

Once the presents are opened, we clear the wrappings and rubbish, and start with the family phone calls to each other ... regardless of where in the world they may be, wishing each other merry xmas!!  

Then it's on to preparing our xmas breakfast . which is always waffles, toffee bacon, maple syrup, fresh strawberries & blueberries and hokey pokey ice cream.  Yes, I know .. not the healthiest of xmas breakfasts, BUT it's one my daughters wanted years ago, and it's become a xmas tradition.  Let's face it, it's only once a year that we do this :-)

After that, it's clean up time and prepare for our overall whanau get together where we open more presents, then relax with great stories, great company and great food (which I might add, is always WAAAAAYYYYYY too much).

Our xmas tree this year

 This year was no different.  The presents were awesome, the waffles were awesome and the whanau lunch was awesome!!!  We spent the whanau lunch at my oldest sister Tanya's home in Ngaruawahia with her whanau and her husband Mike's whanau.  We received a nice surprise with my brother Lee and his wife Paula walking in about 20 minutes after we arrived.  They decided to come home from Perth!!!  My sister Deanne and her whanau were the only ones missing, however they are currently in New York City enjoying a well deserved holiday!!

For me xmas day is also the day that kick starts the holidays.  A day to sort the relaxation plan.  I've always grown up with a boat in the family which I blogged about in CHILDHOOD MEMORIES ONBOARD and I envisage the next couple of weeks to be filled with  lots of boat trips fishing or skiing and I can't wait!!!

Merry xmas from me and my whanau!!!

Happy living people!