Christmas '07

So much to write, I expect I'll keep adding to this one...

Firstly its been a great Christmas at home. I'm trying to sort this posting into festive, social and spiritual thoughts.

Festively - Well O wanted the Christmas tree from the first of December - traditionally we would put it up on Christmas Eve after Advent but H relented and we went looking in the local 'forest' 6 days early - to find there were no decent ones left, B&Q had sold out and we just managed to get a decentish one from a not so local garden centre. So much for tradition. It then took us three days to decorate it and the rest of the house partly due to how long it took to get it to stay upright in the stand - hee hee! I had a great time buying goodies with O at Asda, H found her late night stint at Tesco much more stressful - she's a little out of practice but cooked up the most amazing Christmas dinner - even made her own cranberry and port sauce. Slight delay waiting for the turkey to finish meant we finished first course, then stopped for the Queens speech (which we missed the first 2 minutes of so here goes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRP-o6Q85s&feature=dir

and then we had pudding while watching Finding Nemo with one of my fav songs.

Oh yeh - presents - well with a 9.30 service we were never going to
get them all opened, even when H woke the kids up at 06:40 lol. O did try and had his opened before lunch, B by tea time and L by the 28th! Needless to say there were loads as we are such a big family but some really imaginative stuff and we have had the time to open things and play / make / fight (bring on those light sabres and sonic screw drivers!)

Socially, staying at home and being together as just us has been brilliant - time to relax, play together, even get the thank you letters started tho' the latest G'parent visit has taken a bit of a hit on that. Must stop writing this blog soon to do some more. Had both G'parents up before Christmas and then the outlaws over 28th to 2nd so a nice quiet Christmas. Obviously church Christmas am but then only visited college for an Admiralty do on the 28th - a nice short afternoon drinks, biscuits and catch up. We also had some friends round for lunch the same day which was great - us guys took the 5 littlies off to the park to let the two H's catch up on chat time (and wash up - hee hee). Skipping college festivities for New Year's Eve as we'll enjoy playing cards and drinking at home en famille.

Do I feel guilty about how much we spent on food and presents - not very much - its a time to celebrate God's coming to earth - the poor will always be with us and much more literally than figuratively in the future. It was a real privilege to lead the prayers as a family on Christmas morning - did the all stand in a circle facing in and out - thanks muchly H-A. Advent preparations have been better than in the past being in two prayer groups at once - the one focusing on an Advent study guide which has been bril, the other following the lectionary and leading to some interesting thoughts on the 2nd coming. (read that as Advent spiritual preparations, getting the house ready suffered a bit - soz H) I think a spiritual focus on the family and concern for them has been an important part of this Christmas - prayers and celebrating the 12 days of Christmas particularly important. Also writing thank you letters to reinforce the importance of all those who have shown their love for us.

Hmmmmm - a great Christmas; here's to 2008!

Happy Christmas

Peter and the family would just like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas - may we all experience the blessings of the Christ child - as we share the joys and sorrows of the world into which he came.

I so recommend...

"English Rose Travels"

An English woman abroad - love the feminine humour and never a dull moment.

Shame I only find time to read posts once a fortnight - it will make a great book tho'.