A different kind of Christmas...

Every year we look forward to Christmas, often to be disappointed at the outcome. This year it has been different and, I think, the best I can remember. The extreme and unusual winter weather gave us all the snow we could hope for and this together with Steve, Sarah, Anna, Abbie and Josiah as well as Emma, Nick , Robyn and Lola staying over made it a real family affair. Christmas day was spent going to the Cathedral for services in which Josiah was doing his corrister duties (certainly the place to go on Christmas morning - sound and surroundings are very special), opening our secret santa pressies (worked really well), eating huge amounts of turkey and Christmas pud and relaxing playing games and chilling out. The only tele we wanted to watched was Dr Who which was brilliant - a few of us sneaked into the back room to catch that episode! As the evening wore on our blood alcohol levels increased somewhat and rummy moved on to cheat which moved on to pass the pigs and subsequently on to wind-up reindeer racing which included racing grannies and grandads... we definitely had a good laugh! Boxing morning gave some of us the chance to take a short walk in the snow and the others the time to play or gather things together. A massive brunch fry up was a great way to end the family time. Steve and Sarah returned home after brunch, Emma and Nick staying on to help us use up some of the left over food until early evening. It just goes to show that the ingredients for a memorable Christmas are family, good food and drink and a good laugh. The icing on the cake was the snow which, for our family, came pretty well at the right time to make 2010 a very different kind of Christmas...