Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming!

And with the busyness of

November and December

I've not had time to blog much at all.

We put up our Christmas tree 

on the 25th November,

knowing that we had some busy weekends 

coming up in December.

Thanks to our renovations,

this year we could fit in the tree without

major furniture rearrangement.

What a relief.

The tree fits nicely between the 

dining and sitting areas.

(and looks stunning at night

when seen from the stairs)

As I hoped last year,

this year I had my own little tree

in my own little craft room.

I love that from the front of the house this tree

looks like the top of a full-size tree,

it's just at the right height!

The craft room is cozy and Christmassy,

lovely. 

Such beautiful Christmas music

has been playing almost constantly 

in our home for the last month.

I will miss it so much after tomorrow.

I made over 80 cards,

and finally got them written and posted

in the middle of December.

At last I have stairs

with Christmas greenery!

(something I always wanted!)

Crafts have been made,

although not all I had planned

(what's new?)

I made sand art cookie jars for some friends and neighbours.

I love the way they turned out.

I'm very excited that my very own DF and GF

Christmas cookies were a success!

Thanks to Meadow Lea Dairy Free Margarine,

and Orgran GFG Gluten substitute

all sort of things are possible!

Pastry has abounded around here ever since.

We made a gingerbread house,

using the Woolworths Select Gingerbread House Kit

but were very disappointed with the 

icing and the taste of it all.

Wishing now that I'd bought the Aldi house.

But at least it looked cute.

We had my parents and aunt 

over for dinner and a little concert

(recorders, flute, guitar, whistle, harp, piano, violin)

and finishing with singing carols together,

a lovely night.

*  *  * 

Advent readings have been read,

although all squeezed into this last week.

I'm finding these traditions much harder as the girls get older.

(Homeland on Sunday nights didn't help though,

our one must-see show of the week)

And now it is Christmas Eve.

And, in contrast to former years,

where the girls stood on little chairs

wearing cute aprons

and helping mix the Christmas Cookie dough,

this year the girls are on the front step,

putting on each other's nail polish.

(I don't like the smell in the house)

But now the polish has dried, 

the dough is ready to roll

and I will go and help them.

Some things never change, at least!

They love to cut the cookies and 

sprinkle on the coloured sugar.

Tonight Santa will come by on the fire truck

and we will have a roast chicken dinner,

our own little Christmas dinner 

with church and a 

big family celebration tomorrow.

* * *

Wishing you and your family 

a 

very 

 M*E*R*R*Y 

C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*

Photos taken by Fiona & Emily.