Canberra Christmas

Our Christmas in Canberra was quietly beautiful - and drama free - compared to the disruptions faced by many families/businesses as Omicron wreaked its vengeance on us for thinking we were "free of COVID" at last.

But enough of COVID - Our Inner North takes a restrained approach to Christmas decorating. This is one of my favourite Christmas bows on the front door of an old Canberra style (duplex) house in Amaroo Street Reid. We admire it on our frequent walks to the shops in Civic.

Last Wednesday night we hosted the annual Christmas get together of the F and L families: 13 people (just) fitted around our table for a night of feasting, dining and Christmas song singing and quizzing. These beautiful young things were little more than babies/toddlers when we started this tradition back in 2000 - out at the vineyard in Murrumbateman - and look at them now!

Then the day after Ros and Pete arrived from Geelong, ready to kick their heels up with us here in Canberra over the Christmas weekend. Claire and her boys hosted our first gathering on Christmas Eve at Jerra, a lovely chilled out evening in their beautiful back garden.

A night to treasure some together time.

And Claire demonstrated to us how we could look years younger and have a dental makeover via some magic called "FaceApp".

We hosted Christmas Day lunch here at the apartment - 10 lovely people this time with everyone contributing to our feast and the entertainment ...... As always we started with the Majella Sparkling Shiraz!

Claire was extra happy on this occasion - it's been years since she's beaten the boys in a game of Uno.

We welcomed Julie (from Mildura) to our gathering this year. She fitted in so easily (of course).

The two boys arrived ravenous - but after doing a demolition job on the appetizers they felt ok about chilling out until lunch was served (phew!)

Ros and Pete are such easy company for us when they stay. They share our love of walking and enjoy being part of our neighbourhood too.

With a lot of places closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day we were lucky to have Eighty/Twenty at Braddon open for our morning walk coffees and brunches.

And we all enjoyed a walk through the grounds of our neighbouring St John's, Reid (with its historic graveyard) on the way home (with a Boxing Day church service in progress).

 We spent most of Boxing Day afternoon, as storm clouds built, watching the latest Bond film "No Time to Die" (excellent!) and the remaining episodes of the wonderful Peter Jackson edited series The Beatles: Get Back. Pete and Ros enjoyed it just as much as we did!

Ros and Pete left this morning. The place seems very quiet and we miss them already. Lucky the young ones will be back from their Sydney break very soon.

Happiness is .......

Happiness is getting to the end of this complicated (as opposed to unprecedented) year: end of school, end of work, setting out on holidays tomorrow (only as far as Sydney this year) and getting to open Christmas presents early - yay!

Ella and Abi are so well socialised by now - they waited patiently until we arrived for present opening on Sunday morning, until coffees were made and posed happily for the obligatory Christmas  pic .......

before getting down to business .........

The new red ear buds were popular ....

Sweet Ella is happy with everything!

Abi loved the silver horse charm necklace.......

and all the moolah - great for some retail therapy in Sydney!!!

And the total new horse riding outfit (including new leather chaps!) - perfect for Summer holiday riding camp in late January - woohoo!

 

Christmas is here (almost)

With plenty of uncertainty around about other things, Christmas is definitely on its way now - only twelve days to go!

This pair are well and truly ready for it ........

We had our first big Christmas get together yesterday - the extended family celebration hosted by Josh and Jody. Ella asked me to make the Sri Lankan Christmas cake for dessert and she wanted to do a marzipan and fondant icing for it. She and Abi had a sleep over here the night before and worked all yesterday morning bringing Ella's vision for the cake into being in our kitchen.

Although there was some tension in the air at the start of the process they both ended up working in a lovely cooperative rhythm - creating an absolute masterpiece!

The Christmas party started at 3.00pm. As we pulled up outside the house we were just beaten by Ollie and Angus who'd driven there together in Ollie's "new" car with his brand new P plates proudly displayed on the rear bumper... Amazing!!

With all the adults safely in receipt of their first glass of sparkling Shiraz, Abi was very keen we get the Secret Santa presents opened. I thought Joshy's Secret Santa really nailed his gifts ...........

It was a very relaxed, chilled out afternoon on a beautiful mild summer afternoon. After present opening the young ones gravitated outside where Rod broke the ice with one of his well practised card tricks.

The boys were suitably impressed with Ella's chin up bar (made by Joshy for Ella to keep in practice during lockdown).

And very impressed by what she can do on the chin up bar ......

There was the great Australian backyard cricket game.....

And lots of hoops were shot (very competitively too) over the afternoon.

We ate beautiful food. Pete had shucked over 6 dozen Pambula oysters for us for starters. Rob and he grilled fresh prawns on the bar-b-que and Joshy roasted a beautiful boned leg of lamb. There was a Christmas ham on offer too - all beautiful!

 We had fun playing the family favourites quiz over dessert. Everyone entered into the spirit of things and we had a lot of laughs while finding a few surprising things out about each other (especially Angus's preference for Shannon Noll's Christmas songs, and the meaning of Stollen).

The cake was a stunning centrepiece and all that fruit disappeared in a flash

It gets quite complicated getting everyone together these days, but its a lot of fun when we can. Josh and Jody are warm and welcoming hosts and their big house and back garden caters to lots of play activities, but we all know it involves a lot of work and organisation too for which we are all very grateful.