FAMILY CHRISTMAS

 I should catch up with myself and get into 2026. The older I get the lazier I get. I'm ashamed of myself. Anyway we had a disjointed Christmas because half the family were going away. The grandsons are on Summer Holidays and Sonya wanted to get them out of the house and away from screens. So she planned a road trip to Rye in Victoria. It is 1858 km so they hooked up their ancient caravan and headed off for a three day drive stopping at beaches on the way. Then they would stay at Rye where Bernies family have a beach house and celebrate Christmas there. So it was decided that we would celebrate Christmas early before they left. Carol and David flew from Melbourne to be with us and also to spend Christmas Day with David's family and Christmas Eve with us (Like he Swiss celebrate on Christmas Eve). 

So we had a family Christmas on 19 Dec. The young ones prepared the lunch. We had prawns and salads, it is too hot for traditional English fair but David's English parents still do the traditional turkey lunch.

When Carol arrived she baked us a Swiss breakfast bread (Züpfe). We ate it with cheese and cherry jam like  the Swiss do.

 

Gruyere Cheese and Camembert.

Carol also cooked us an Apfelkuchen (apple pie). She enjoys keeping her Swiss heritage alive.

A few days later we celebrated Christmas at lunch time. Sonya, Bernie and the boys arrived with caravan in tow so they could depart early the next morning for Rye in Victoria. They all helped put the lunch together.

Then we played secret Santa.

Sonya and Fox

After lunch Banjo played Santa and gave out all the presents. Here he received a potato from his make believe cousin, Virgil. Carol and David chose not to have children but they invented make believe children, Ruby and Virgil. They are in juvenile detention (so the story goes).

Carol received a gardening book. They have just bought a country house with a huge garden. It was fun to have all the family together. The next morning Sonya and family left for their road trip. Carol stayed until Christmas Eve and then went to stay with David's parents on the other side of Brisbane.We are so blessed that they all come to celebrate with us even if it was before Christmas Day.