Christmas This Year, 2014
Christmas this year was really rich.
We spent the morning at Mum and Dad's, as we do every year, gifting and opening presents and eating fruit salad. Ben and I drove up to Red Hill after a morning walk and promptly woke my brother, handing him a 3kg tub of Nutella. Merry Christmas, Jackson. Santa gave me a vegetable spiralizer that I have already used and already love.
We sat on the couch, coffee in hand and wrapping paper on the ground. Our dog, Matilda, passed away a while ago, but we miss her that little bit more more on Christmas morning, as ruffling in the present aftermath was her most favourite pastime. Soon after we got to preparing our lunch. Every year mum hosts a small group of our family and this year I felt particularly joyful, the five of us hanging out in the kitchen, chopping, stirring and stealing scraps of slow-cooked pork. My grandparents arrived around midday, followed by Ben's parents, and around 1pm we sat down to eat. The menu was similar to last year and the year before that, though we added some bourdon apples (which we won't do again) and a brussels sprout, chestnut and bacon dish (which we may do again). Around the table we cracked bonbons, praised the pork and passed bottles sparkling shiraz and boats of gravy up and down the table. We finished with plum pudding and boozy sauce, and then went to Ben's parents' house to open presents with our niece and nephew.
And now we're enjoying the fact that our family is over from Hong Kong and we are working from home the next week or so, with little more on our agenda than visiting the beach, playing lego with kids, eating leftovers and making fruit pie. It's Summer and we're rich.
Here are some photographs from Christmas this year, 2014.
Writing the lyrics to "Jingle Bells, Batman smells..." #proudaunty
