Remember Christmas 2015

I've always loved Christmas.

Some haven't been as great as others. There were a couple that were so significantly different than what I'd been used to or imagined they would be, that they were not so magical.

Christmas 2015 was great in so many mundane ways, the type of ways that I like to document so that we can all look back in future days, and say, 'remember Christmas 2015, that was a pretty good year.'

It started with Big Hewitt Christmas, around 50+ people for lunch at Uncle John's house. There were cousins to play with, these are all the great grandkids now, and it's often only Easter and Christmas that they get together. It took about ten minutes before a random game of chasey got started in the back yard, then there were all the presents, the grown ups insisted on lunch at some stage, which was great because these fabulous things were served.

Remember how it was a gazillion degrees, and when Uncle John said a prayer before our meal, he also asked us to consider having a prayer for the farmers who so desperately needed rain. Then, before we had finished our Christmas ham the rain was pelting down and we had to go super quick to move all the presents inside. Those Christmas prayers can be answered very fast. That day finished with all the kids winding down with a movie and zooper doopers. No complaints there.

Then we had Christmas number 2.
Nan and Pop arrived with the car loaded with presents. We tried a new 80s version of Christmas dinner for fun and teamed it with Pops sticky date pudding (it's the best available). Once the presents were opened we played multiple rounds of HedBandz, and the adults actually laughed more than the kids. There were even attempts at cheating by looking into spoons to try and see the answer. It would seem some of us are more competitive than we usually admit to (it's possibly genetic).  The new polaroid camera came out and the kids had no idea that you are not supposed to open the back of the camera. Film is just something they knew nothing about. But kids learn quick.

Christmas number 3 was all about friends, new and old.
When you team a restaurant with a park, a golfing range, an ice cream shop, climbing trees and great weather it's just win/win/win/win.

Finally real Christmas arrived.
It was again 790000 degrees Celsius.
But, Santa arrived and surprised us by getting the perfect gifts including the Husky Beanie Boo that has never been seen in the shops. We watched Santa on the santa tracker website and confirmed his sleigh in the night sky, I still can't believe we saw it!

We'll also remember that was the year the inside toilet started making weird sounds and everyone had to use the outside one at Granny's. It was special to have Great Grandma and pa with us too.

And the slip n slide on the hill.

The iMovie that the cousins all made together.

That grandma kept saying, 'of course you can have that, it's Christmas.'

Some of us will remember that Baileys brought out a bailey's cream, perfect for the Christmas pudding, and christmas cake, and to top the pav with, or just with strawberries or anything really. Some aunties even just ate it like yoghurt.

When we think of Christmas 2015 we'll remember the little turtle we rescued and the motor bike rides.

We'll remember swimming at the big pool, pork crackle and pavlova.

And we'll remember that Christmas Day 2015 was the night that she who never sleeps, (Miss 9) slept for 15 hours.

We'll remember it as a good one.