Happy Christmas!

Grandad Col, Granny T, Daddy, Eve and Jeggsy

Wow! Christmas has now been and gone but we're most definitely still enjoying the holidays.  It feels like our first real break for a long time and has been much needed.  Unfortunately Sam was ill with a stomach bug on Christmas Eve, and then after the cooking of the Christmas roast on the big day I then came down with it too. Eve suffered with her teeth both days and was constantly waking up each night. I did feel sorry for Granny who was staying with us. But we had a lovely time with her and it was nice that she was here to look after us all.

Whilst Sam was ill in bed on Christmas eve, me, mum and Eve nipped over to Laura's house in Bishopston to spend some time with them for an hour. Our families have been friends since Laura and I were 3 years old so it was good to keep up the tradition as Laura's parent's were over from France. The kids really enjoyed playing with each other, and it was lovely to see our dear friend Jilly just days from her first baby's due date.

Laura with her eldest daughter, Elodie

Jilly with Eve and Agnes

Mum had arrived early on Christmas eve to bring me a large pan to cook our Christmas ham. It was a great success - however as we had gone out for a jolly time at Laura's we left it cooking slightly longer than we should so the fat had gone rather black but it still tasted great - next time I shall aim for perfection! :-)

Although Eve woke up a lot during the night of Christmas eve she had a lovely time crawling around all the presents on Christmas morning. She particularly like the frying pan and fried egg that was in her stocking (good job to the £ pound shop!) - and has started putting the egg in the pan - and other toys inside things - before toys were taken out of containers and not put in, so we've reached a new part in her development which is cool. 

Eve's small stocking next to her in this picture was my stocking when I was a child - I have such fond memories of finding it at the bottom of my bed each year.

Daddy opening Eve's stocking with her. She is a very lucky girl and received so many lovely gifts - it took us until Boxing day to open everything. Thank you to all our family and friends who gave her presents.

It was so nice catching up with my mum - chatting and cooking the ham on Christmas eve together was wonderful.  I did feel sad that I could not watch telly, drink red wine and chat together on the evening of Christmas day as I felt so ill. Of course, she understood having had three children of her own and knowing that these are the kind of things that happen.

Daddy carving the turkey with festive Grandad Col

As Eve had been ill with her teeth for a week and a half on the run up to Christmas and then suffered quite a lot during the main holiday days I was so pleased when it turned out that she loved Granny T's homemade Christmas cake.

Me, Grandad Col and Jeggsy enjoying cake and tea 

After lunch we had a great circular walk through Arnos Vale Cemetery together.