After a looong journey back from the Caribbean, we are finally back home. We took a cab at the airport, I just didn't have the energy to get on another leg of traveling with train and bus to reach our front door. It took us a good 17 hours and 3 flights and a taxi drive to get home, but oh how sweet it is to be home.
Santa (NEVER stop believing...) was kind enough to swing by, filling up the floor space under the tree and on Christmas morning I forced myself out of bed around 8am, prepared some cardamom tea and woke the kids up to the tones of "Santa Claus is coming to town". We opened gifts and pretty much just hung out in PJ's all day. I ran 3 loads of laundry (!!!) and prepared a small version of a Christmas dinner.
It is not the same not having the man of the house around. Jay had to stay and work and it is only me and the kids this year. Once before, in 2007, I was alone as well and swore that I would never EVER spend Christmas alone again. But after our week long family vacation, spending the most fantastic time together, it worked out pretty well. I'm glad I made the effort of filling up Christmas stockings in the middle of the night, wrapping the last gifts in cross eyed jet lag mode late at night and filling the dinner table with the few essentials needed for the right Christmas spirit. Meatballs, pig feet sausage, ham and Jansson's Temptation. And some shrimp and Aunt Dolly's half egg recipe. That is all you need really. And some nice conversations and a few good laughs. Love on high level.
The weather sucks, I have to say. It feels like April. So I close the shutters and light up the candles. Nelly lets her fingers dance over the piano keys... I spray some pine tree essence around and we turn on Christmas movies. So far we've watched The Grinch, The Family Stone, The Holiday, The Santa Clause, The Polar Express and Elf - of course! I have many more favorites but it feels like I'm done with Christmas now. I look forward to the New Year, a New Start and New Adventures. 2015 has not made a big mark in my life wheel... It is a year of confusion, struggles and hard times actually... I hope 2016 will be the year when things turn around. I'm eager to move on and make things better.
Happy Christmas Holidays all. See you around spreading cheerful crochet creations, crafty ideas and sweet chats. I seem to Instagram more now during the holidays. Follow me on @myrosevalley to see what I'm up to. Welcome!
Kärlek
Annette
Annette
FOLLOW My Rose Valley HERE:
Feliz Natal amiga.Eu também ter um Natal diferente,meu irmão foi atropelado por isso fizemos a ceia no seu quarto para não ficar sozinho.Beijo em todos por ai.Valéria.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy reading your adventures with your children! surely you did you have a good evening Christmas! my best wishes for 2016. I know you will have a good year! I wish you the best, dear Annette! you are a good mother, a good wife and a good woman! I wish you good things for the year 2016! good luck! hugs and kisses from Catalonia!
ReplyDeleteHi Annette,
ReplyDeleteA little late but still merry Christmas. It's Always really nice to read your blogs and it looks like you had a nice Christmas. I hope you got nice presents from Santa. I wish you a nice evening and already a happy and creative new year. May 2016 become a wonderfull year :-).
Sweet greetings,
Emily
(casacreaemilia.blogspot.nl)
Hi Annette. It sounds like you had a lovely Christmas vacation. How hard it would be though, to not share the actual DAY of Christmas with your whole family complete. I'd say you did a fine job of muddling through.
ReplyDeleteI got a new laptop, so I am ready for blogging again.
Much love,
Kris
Wonderful, warm images.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that Christmas was good for you...even with so much effort to make it so. Ours was VERY quiet with just Hubby and I. No children were able to come home this year. I would just have soon skipped the entire holiday and traveled somewhere instead. We have a Mexican cruise scheduled for January though, so I can't complain too much. :-)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
It all sounds very lovely and I am sure your break away has given you new vigour to get on with the new year and all it holds for you. Can't wait to see what you get up to. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. x
ReplyDeleteNo place like home! Sounds like a fun trip. Rest up for the new year!
ReplyDeleteHello Annette, I am sooo happy to read the story about your adventures in the Carribean, the travel and your midnight parcelwrapping :-) And yes, sometimes I could read between the lines of your blogs that the year 2015 has not always been what you hoped for but in the end you got through your struggles nicely and I pray the year 2016 brings you all the best! Happy 2016 and I hope the coming year brings you and your family everything you have wished for! Lots of love from Holland, Lia Borsje
ReplyDeleteHi Annette, So glad that you had a good time with your family in the Carribean. The photos show that you had a cosy family time, even though you were missing an important person. With the jet lag you were probably glad to chill out in front of the television and watch all those wonderful films. The family stone is one of my all time favourites, but oh so sad!!! We spent the day at my newly married daughter's little flat in Bournemouth and it was their first Christmas as MR & Mrs so very special for them. I have been working quiet a bit over the last week though as I work for Mothercare we are open all over Christmas execept Christmas day. Wishing you all the happiest of new years xxx Hugs Julie
ReplyDelete