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| Early Christmas morning |
Every day feels like Christmas at the moment with all the family home together, a sense of God's love and peace upon us and festive food continuing to appear from freezer, cupboard, fridge or oven each day. There is so much to be grateful for.
I have not baked, prepared or requested any of our Christmas foods, instead I have been an enabler - buying lots of special ingredients as needed, cleaning, organising, cleaning, managing our small kitchen and temperamental old fridge - and cleaning. It's not that many years ago that everything relied on me in every regard. This is generally a very satisfying stage of motherhood with our children aged 7, almost 12, 14, 16, 18, 18, 20 and 23.
Miss E's older siblings helped her create a Raspberry Ripple Ice-cream Log from Christmas Cooking for Kids by Fiona Hammond. We have also had traditional homemade Christmas goodies - fruitcakes, boiled pudding, fruit mince pies, gingerbread, snow/rum balls etc.
Miss O orchestrated the baking and construction of a beautiful A-Frame gingerbread house, assisted by her older twin sisters. She used a proven a gingerbread recipe from the book mentioned above with house templates from Tikkido (Large A Frame templates). Spread over a couple of days it was a delight to observe.
I busied myself making a collection of simple tie-close gift bags and filling them with a variety of fun and useful mini gifts. With only myself knowing the contents of each, I placed them on the appropriate plates at Christmas lunch instead of traditional Christmas bonbons/crackers. They were well received as a no-waste alternative. The empty bags are now tucked away ready to be refilled next Christmas.
One of my favourite memories of Christmas Day is watching my 82 year old Mother in law savouring the photo gifts I had made for her (via Vistaprint). Each Christmas I gift her (and several others) a collection of ten blank cards and a calendar, all made using photos I have taken. She carefully looked at each card, one by one, enjoying all the details. She then did the same with her calendar, on which I had written each of our birthdays, for her memory is failing. Precious moments.
The last deliciousness shared above is a Christmas Celebration Chocolate Ice-cream Cake made entirely by Miss O. I snapped these quickly, surrounded by family waiting to eat it, urging me to hurry before it melted! The joys of a summer Christmas!
12 comments:
What a lovely family you have!!! I enjoyed reading about your Christmas.
I just bought a small, simple sewing machine yesterday with Christmas $, and then last night I got a Pinterest notification for a hexie page, and oh my, I do believe I want to try this. All of the photos were wonderful and got my creative juices flowing.
Have a nice last year of 2025, and have a great 2016.
Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady
It's very nice when the whole family is preparing Christmas treats. It's nice to look like children help, then together celebrating. Very nice are the gifts you made. Fasting is very warm, and Christmas will be. Regards.
Sounds perfectly lovely! What a blessing to have all of your family together. The gift of cards and calendar made from your fantastic photos is a great idea ~ of course your mother-in-law would savor it! :-)
Blessings to you and your beautiful family ~ Tracy
A truly perfect Christmas family gathering. How wonderful to have all your family around you on Chritmas morn.
herlige bilder !
Yum - I feel hungry looking at those desserts. What a lovely idea to make cards and calendars with your photos. All the best to you and your family for 2016.
I don't have quite as many helpers, but I enjoyed having a lot more assistance in the kitchen this year. Far more relaxing for me, and really enjoyable to prepare dishes together. Great gift idea for your Mum, especially since you take such great photos! I make a calendar of the family dog every year which is always eagerly anticipated. The quality of photographic products which can be ordered online these days is quite amazing. Keep enjoying the happy family time. X
Such a lovely way to spend ChHristmas with family - and I am pinning that recipe for next year too:)
Merry Christmas Karen to you and all the family. Sending lots of love. Enjoy having all your children home, creating yet more memories xxx
Your photos, "snapped quickly", should be in a magazine!
Just how Christmas should be Karen - family, lots of love and happy times together.
All such beautiful and precious moments and photos. Nothing in life is more precious than family, and love seeing these family times and having a tiny moment of sharing with you. Blessings to you in this coming year Karen!
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