Santa has been......

Christmas Day....oh joy.....oh happiness......presents......it's true then, Santa can and does find you, if you're not at home. A few days earlier though, the Angels went out on the farm on a very special mission with Grandpa, Grandma G, K & D....a search party even.....to find THE most perfect Christmas tree.....they looked at this one, wondered about that one, checked all around this one, measured that one.....until it was declared THIS ONE was THE P E R F E C T one......it was cut it down......transported ever so carefully on the tractor and trailer back to the house.....they checked it's size again....not too tall, not too short......just PERFECT......wedged it securely in a bucket of water laced with a special tonic concoction of aspirin and sugar......to keep it healthy don't you know......and finally, with Grandma G overseeing proceedings, the Angels decorated their P E R F E C T Christmas tree.....their very special mission was complete.......and now Santa had been and left the finishing touches......

Radiata Pine - Traditional NZ Christmas Tree

And here is T H E man himself......Santa......

Santa

looking rather slim on it, it has to be said......must be that long and very tiring journey all the way from the North Pole! Notice the dubious looking refreshment in his hand......looks can be deceiving though.....it is actually a Simpsons can filled with sweeties......hehehe.

Stockings were opened.....the gazebo and sun umbrellas were set out.......dinner was prepared and set to cook............at last, it was time for a glass or two of bubbles, and some serious present opening......it was a big affair compared to what we usually have......there were many of us......Big Lad, Little Lad, Big Miss, Little Miss, Grandpa and Grandma G, and two of my sisters.....K and her husband D, and B, her husband J, and their children H & C, and of course, Me....wow that tots up to 13.....that makes for manic present opening all at once!!!....and there were presents galore.....and lots and lots of sweeties.....some very spoilt people if the truth be told!

Getting hungry by now you say.....absolutely......dinner was ready to be devoured......it was a full on cooked Christmas roast with trimmings......followed by Christmas pudding, trifle and the obligatory NZ pavlova with lashings of cream, fresh fruit salad, and ice cream.....all enjoyed outside under the welcome shade of the gazebo and sun umbrellas.....it was 28C after all......

Christmas Day Dinner Gazebo

Yep, the weather really got it right for the day......in fact, it was the best Christmas day weather for 37 years! Usually there is rain hanging around, and New Zealanders long for a sunny Christmas day like we here in Britain long for a white Christmas.


Absolutely glorious it was.......but I have to say......very, very different to how a winter Christmas feels.....in fact, it felt quite odd without the gorgeous, gentle, glow of candles and fairy lights, without a roaring fire to warm your cockles (not that we are lucky enough to have a real fire in the UK), without the aromas of orange, cinnamon, and clove, without warm mince pies and mulled wine, without that feeling you get of being all cosy and rosy inside, while it's cold and hopefully snowy, outside......don't get me wrong......it was splendid to enjoy again after so many years, and for the Angels to experience for the first time.......but there is just something sooooo right about a winter Christmas.......and if we are ever lucky enough to return to NZ to live, I would most definitely have to have an additional mini Christmas celebration on winter solstice day, just to enjoy those magical feelings of a winter Christmas.


A  H U G E  thank you to everyone for making our summer Christmas celebration so wonderfully different!

-xx-