Christmas 2011

We had a lovely Christmas. It was not at all like an American or even a German Christmas, more like what I think Christmas is like in Hawaii.  It was warm, we sat outside, the tree was fake and we had BBQ instead of turkey.  Very different, but very nice as well.  Although I will admit I missed the snow and the cold quite a lot. 

Tree at Joe's Grandparent's house.

Christmas Eve we drove up into the mountains to a little country village called Black Heath.  Joe's cousin Nat is managing a pub there and had invited us up for the holidays.  It was amazing, we rambled around in this old country pub that even Darwin himself had visited.  Pretty cool.  The grounds were almost a park-like setting and the pub itself was a rabbit warren of rooms and spaces to explore.  We spent most of the evening in the large pool room sitting on leather sofas laughing and drinking. 

Back of the pub.

The arch to the far left is where we enjoyed our breakfast.

Of course we couldn't wait until Christmas to open our pressies, so the boys ran off and got them and we all tore into them. 

Christmas Cracker Joke... What do you call a penguin in the Sahara desert? 

                                                                     ...LOST!

I got a happy Christmas penguin in my stocking!

Christmas day arrived and we all were feeling the fun we had indulged in the night before.  But Joe's cousin trouped on and made us a lovely breakfast of bacon and eggs.  We sat on the upper veranda (that's a porch) looked out over the beautiful grounds of the pub and enjoyed the sun.  It was a beautiful start to our Christmas.

Awesome Nat cooking our Christmas brekkie.  YUM!

After we finished breakfast it was on the road to Penrith to have Christmas with the rest of the family.  Pa had cooked a lovely ham and there was tons of food to go around.  Yummy.  Everyone enjoyed their pressies.  Pa especially enjoyed the dishcloth I knitted him. It's his favourite color.  Can't you tell...

He did get two manly camo colored ones as well.

Joe's sister Dannica and Grandma.

Joe's Mum looking at the cook book we got her. Indian.. yum.

And finally Joe's much anticipated pressie from Adelaide.  A litho of one of Hans Heyden's watercolors.  He loved it!