Hello 2011!

Well hello there! What a great couple of weeks we have had! I have been relaxing with the family, Greg has had a bit of time off and we have replenished the stores ready for part two of the summer holidays!
Christmas came and went with the usual fanfare! I love all the lead up to Christmas so we have lots of fun traditions we do together. Somehow we managed to miss out on watching the Polar Express this year though...don't know how that happened!
So celebration wise, first up we had Christmas with my side of the family. A delicious ham was enjoyed for mains and I made a baked white chocolate and mango cheesecake for dessert to go with the traditional pudding and trifle! Yummo!!!

The kids were terribly spoiled and loved playing with all their new gifts a week early! Here are some of the cousins...Annie and Bradley were napping!

My dad playing Santa...the light is awful in this room but I love these pics!

And finally a stair shot for my mum to love! We have been meaning to do one for about eleven years, since mum and dad moved to Indooroopilly...all good things come to those who wait...I think it was a family shot worth waiting for!

The it was back to the beach for a couple more days for us. We fit in a few more trips to the water and swims in the pool and then we came home on the 23rd. I went shopping until midnight that night, because I could! Then Christmas Eve we went to church and got rained on, drove around looking at a few lights and put out the reindeer food. We let the children give each other their gifts on Christmas eve too...have to space out these toys or they will be overlooked!

An awful photo...I was tired already...and still had the gift wrapping and sorting marathon to go! Greg and I try to be organised each year but somehow Christmas Eve arrives and there is always so much to do! Luckily the kids leave it until 6:30 to wake up and open gifts so we get a couple of hours sleep before we have a massive day!

Annie was most excited by the ball pit Santa bought her!

We had brunch at mums which was very nice. A huge spread that kept us going until dinner at the O'Neales.

We went home and rested then went off for our traditional roast at the O'Neales. Kids were perfect and thoroughly enjoyed all their pressies and giving gifts as well. We played a game of Trivial Pursuit into the late evening and slept over there.

Mads was not in the mood for this pic!

More another time...Annie is pinching me to stop already!