Well we reached Christmas Day. The kids had requested that we stay home this year for Christmas and given the hectic year of work, building and everything else that goes on with life with 3 kids, Chief and Deputy decided that was a good idea. Given that building was still taking place deep into Christmas week, would have been hard to go away anyway.
Chief over the course of the past couple of weeks (or longer) had been inviting anyone she knew (and anyone she didn't know as well) to come over for Christmas breakfast. Next neighbor's Wards were on the list and good friends Merchants. This was seriously going to test out our new entertaining area and given that we had not been hospitable for a long time, our skills to entertain.
Before everyone arrived though, we had to open presents. The highlight of the day was our 3 kids. Christmas was broadcast to them as being a little lean this year due to the building works. On Christmas morning after they had opened their presents, all of a sudden they disappeared and returned with a present each for Chief and Deputy, bought out of their own money. They had discussed it together and all gone out at various stages and bought the presents. Chief and Deputy a little humbled, a little teary however very proud of them.
Then the guests started to arrive, Merchants, Wards and then the Rusin's, much to Chief's surprise. Whilst Chief had invited the Rusin's, Chief's phone had not been working for a couple of days so hadn't received the text saying that they would be coming. Chief had been telling everyone that we had enough food to feed the street (this is not a lie by the way!) so food was not an issue.
We met the Rusin's when Brendan (our eldest and the one holding court) and Maddy (closest) where 4 years old. Marissa holding up the post was just a little baby. The Rusin's are moving to Bowral in the new year so this was really nice to see how the kids had grown up.
After the breakfast crowd disappeared, it was time to wash up, set the dishwasher into action and get ready for round 2. Christmas Eve, Deputy and Brendan were doing keyboard duty for the Christmas Eve services at church. We found out that the music director Ryan and his young family were spending Christmas alone this year. A quick invitation and we had a Christmas lunch with guests. The English couple over the round had also been party to a Chief invitation and while they couldn't make breakfast, they came over in the afternoon.
Our lovely fluffy rabbit Cricket had a day of being loved as little kids just love a good fluffy rabbit to cuddle!
As Ryan and his family left, we started packing up and the phone rang. Our good friends Brad and Jenny, godparents to our kids, and also another set of Chief invites were close by and wondering if they could come over. Sure, there is plenty of food! Brad, Jen and Nat were all pretty full so it was a cup of tea however Deputy wanted dessert so the pavlova was made and cut. The kids started watching a movie on the big screen, we sat out the back and just relaxed and talked, and by 8pm, Brad and Jen were hungry again so we settled into finishing off the prawns, steak, chicken and you name it from earlier in the day.
Gave us a chance to light the little citronella candles and what do you know, they hung beautifully off the kitchen bench hooks.
At the end of the day, we'd served up Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner. The new alfresco area was marvelous. We had a crowd for breakfast however it didn't feel like a crowd and the flow in and out of the house, and particularly Chief's canteen style kitchen was a winner as being in the kitchen did not mean you were out of the party.
The kids were joking, 'whose next?' after Brad, Jen and Nat left. We asked the kids whether they enjoyed Christmas and they all said it was one of the best Christmas Day's they have had. New house, their own house and showing it off helps however we hope that for everyone who came, they enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed putting it on. We did though sleep very well that night!
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