Christmas, New Year, a baptism and a tumble

It's been a bit busy and I apologise I haven't got around and read or commented on as many posts as I would like. I've tried. I'll keep trying and hope to do better as we get further into 2026.

Christmas Day dawned a grey cool day but it didn't dampen the Christmas spirit. After breakfast I made the salad, whipped cream and finished off doing the things I needed to do before we packed up the car and headed over to Vanessa's place for dinner with the family. We had been to the Carol Service on Christmas Eve because I knew we wouldn't get to the Christmas Day one - we seldom do.

At one point I think we had 14 family members there. Some ate with other branches of the family and then came over and some ate with us. We had a buffet set up and helped ourselves to what we wanted. I was sitting with my back to the door and suddenly this little boy rushed up to me all excited - the family from Palmerston North had arrived! We weren't expecting them and my GKB and I had been planning when we would go up and meet the new baby. Vanessa and Tony knew they were coming but hadn't told anyone :) Well done on their part.

They had been up since 5am travelling and arrived at Momona airport at 10:30am. It meant that Arlo had cousins to play with which was nice as he had been the only kid there until they arrived. That's the bigger kids above in their Christmas tee shirts, I don't know who gave those to them but they looked good, even baby Lucia had one :)

 

And this is Aaron and Sofi enjoying their Christmas dinner with a couple of their parishioners in Auckland. They were in the middle of shifting house and so appreciated having somewhere to go for dinner. All in all a good Christmas Day.

Bob getting popcorn and coke to snack on at the movies.

I don't know about most of you but we didn't see the new year in. We were in bed about 10;30am and had the answer phone on as my brother has been notorious for ringing and waking us to wish us a happy New Year in the past. We didn't want to risk him waking us at midnight this year. Yes, we still have a landline as well as our cell phones. On New Years Day we decided to go to the movies as we had been gifted a voucher and had no other plans. It was an enjoyable day out but when we came out we had six minutes to get to the bus stop and we made it just as the bus pulled up. Phew. We have free buses as long as we travel during off peak hours.

And this is wee Lucia Carolitta. She was baptised today. She looks so happy in this photo but she wasn't happy in the church. She started crying as soon as the service started, cried all the way through. Mum couldn't calm her, Dad couldn't calm her and having water poured on her head didn't help. Eventually she went to sleep - when it was all over. I haven't heard a word of the service. I stood when others did and sat when they sat. I've since been told that most of us never heard a word of what was said, the poor priest, though he didn't seem fazed at all and as you can see was laughing with the family - as Lucia kept bawling her eyes out for the photo.

We didn't stay for a cup of tea and as we were leaving Alice was running down a slight slope and fell over. Landed on her knees and face. She took a real hard tumble and it looks like she'll have a good bruise on her face when it comes out. And let me tell you, she has a good set of lungs as well :)

And just because I can - some Christmas crocs.

That's all for now,

Keep well until next time,

Diana

Happy New Year

 

I've lost a day, I thought tomorrow was New Year's Eve but no.

 So, to everyone reading, whether or not you stay up to see the New Year in, I wish you all a fabulous 2026 filled with all God's richest blessings.

Diana

Merry Christmas.

 From our home to yours.

We wish you all the blessings of Christmas  

and all you could hope for in the coming year.

Diana & Bob

Sweet treats and Christmas trees.

My Christmas tree is up and decorated.

The family's presents are all wrapped and under the tree.

We'll take them over to Vanessa's place on Christmas Day and give them out after we've eaten dinner. She has the table set up so it will be a sit down meal. I think all the family from down this way will be there which will be nice. There's been one or two missing the last couple of years.

The first Sunday of the month we have a shared, pot luck, finger food lunch at church. We don't coordinate in any way so it really is pot luck and usually ends up being a good mix of savoury and sweet. This month we were gifted with some beautiful gingerbread Christmas cookies made by one of the ladies from our 'mother' church. There were enough left over that I could bring some home for my GKB, Bob. They were a nice, unexpected sweet treat :)

One evening I was checking the list of decorated houses for our little town and noticed that one of the houses was in a cul de sac just across the road from us. So instead of getting ready for bed that night I waited up until about 11pm, donned a jacket, it was horribly cold out, and walked over. The house was rather pretty and my photo doesn't really do it justice, but I think it looks a bit like a gingerbread house. And I love the way the background turned out. And yes that is the last of the sun setting further south.

And just for fun, I have been trying to put a photo of a different Christmas tree on my Story on facebook daily. It started out just for me and because I hadn't put up my tree yet I used family ones to start. I seem to have gathered a following though with people commenting and looking out for my tree so I'll have to do a big reveal on Christmas Eve I think. Just a bit of Christmas fun :)

Some of the trees I've put up, Some are big family sized and others are kids creations :) I need to find three more for this week but as the shops all have them it shouldn't be too hard :)

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Love came down ...

and stayed.

John 3:16   For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

 that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

LOVE and Advent blessings to all.

Diana

Christmassing

One of my nativity sets. Can you see what's wrong here? Joseph has gone AWOL. My youngest brother, when he first knew Joseph was missing, said he'd probably adjourned to the local inn to get away from all the busyness in the stable what with all the visitors that keep turning up :)

A look at my eldest daughter Jacqui's living room where she is decorating for Christmas as well as entertaining her grandson, Arlo.  School is finishing this week for the summer holidays but Mum and Dad are still working.

I was a bit early with my third candle last week - so -

have another JOY filled week :)

Blessings,

Diana

Tuesday 4 meme - Christmas

  Thank you for joining in for Tuesday 4, begun by Toni Taddeo and kept in her memory. Here is the link if you'd like to join in. https://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/ 

Christmas is fast approaching for billions of people...

1. Do you have a favorite Christmas carol and if so is there a particular version you especially like?

I just like Christmas carols, I don't think I have a favourite.  My grandfather's favourite was Away in a Manger and when I hear it I think of him..

2. Do you have a special dinner for the holidays? What foods are included?

When I was young we had the full Christmas roast. Lamb, potatoes (roast and new), pumpkin, kumara, parsnip, carrots with peas. Mint sauce and gravy. Pudding was jelly, icecream and fruit as well as steamed plum duff (Christmas pudding), complete with thr'penny bits, with custard and cream. And don't forget that Christmas is the middle of summer here. These days it tends to be a barbecue or cold meats and salads. The desserts are usually a selection of cold goodies - trifle, fruit salad, ambrosia, icecream and you can't have Christmas without at least one pavlova. A much more sensible way of celebrating. No one slaving over a hot stove half the day. There's usually Christmas cake and little Christmas tarts to nibble on along with other sweet and savoury snacks. 

3. Holiday movies ... which do you like to watch?

I like to watch White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. After that I like anything as long as it has a nice Christmassy vibe. 

4. What traditions do you continue to keep year after year for the holidays?

We always gather as many of the family as can make it at one place for Christmas Day. I guess that's a tradition. Personally I like to go to the Carol service on Christmas Eve but sadly I'm not usually joined by any family members. We have a Christmas tree but at the rate I'm going this year will be lucky to get one up. But the girls both have one so I'll enjoy theirs. I used to decorate the sitting room but since the family have grown up and left the nest that no longer happens :)

Wishing you a joyful week as we draw near to Christmas.

Diana

A Christmas lunch

Today the volunteers with husbands and wives and friends from the bookshop went out for our annual pre Xmas lunch. I'd like to say it was an enjoyable time but apart from the company it was not!

Twenty minutes to heat a loaded potato and some of the meals were already off the menu and it was only 12:30pm.

 Our table was situated under a fan and the air con and it was cold. One couple stayed long enough to eat and then left. We had asked for the air con to be adjusted or, preferably, turned off but the staff member didn't seem able to do either! But on the plus side, I still got to enjoy my cup of tea from a pretty bone china tea cup. (And no, that is not a rather large insect in my tea, it's part of the pattern on the inside of the cup). 💗

We all left with a small gift and mine was a small

 hand held wooden cross.

There were some nice Christmas decorations

 and below is the tree in the foyer...

...and the wreath 

just down the hall from it.

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And just because I can - Caitlin and Brayden with their triplets :)

 

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Peace be with you this Advent season.

Diana