Build up and Xmas 2010...

On the Thursday before Xmas we had plans to go out with Lisa and the kids, unfortunately a leak in her bathroom roof meant we had to cancel the planned outing.Still really keen to see them all we decided to take them sledging ( on a hill in the village just made for that purpose ) and then go back to theirs for hot chocolate before coming round to mine for lunch.That gave Lisa a chance to rang the insurers.

 They had a wonderful game in the sun room - bringing down boxes of bratz and setting up a bratz world! Morgan (5) played happily alongside them with a box of fantasy figures Milly had brought down for him. He had great fun playing with some miniature spiderman/batman figures and Milly said he could keep them. We all took Beauty for a walk and then took them home on our way to a friends Xmas party - a tradition over the last few years .

Maria's Pixies party was great fun and Emily really enjoyed the fact that she was Maria's helper, looking out for the little ones during the games and at tea time ;-) I enjoyed chatting and drinking tea :-)

I had hoped to have had all the shopping and prep done before Xmas eve - didn't happen ;-)

However Alan and I worked together to get it all done on the morning .He went off shopping for food and to drop some presents off, whilst I tackled the housework.We were working towards sitting down together to watch Alice in wonderland at 2ish, before getting ready to visit a family friend to celebrate her sons birthday.It has become a family tradition and Xmas eve wouldn't seem the same without it :-)

Milly had a present to drop off for Amy and walked round to deliver it and ended up staying round at theirs for an hour.Milly said Morgan was happy to see her and gave her big cuddles - apparently he had fallen asleep clutching the toys she had given him .We really must make arrangements to see them more often and not wait til the next school holiday. 

Instead of watching the film I decided to have a nice long bath and when Milly got back we left for the party a little earlier.

After Hazels Xmas eve party we had a very, very cold but enjoyable walk with Beauty.A cuppa and a rest before heading out to visit with some friends of my Sisters who had very kindly invited us along. Spent a very pleasant hour and a half  there ( there were lots of children there but Milly was unsettled/excited and keen to get home ) before heading back to snuggle down and watch The sorcerer's Apprentice in our new Xmas PJ's. I always buy a film for Emily to open on Xmas eve and we all always have PJ's to open.

We settled down to sleep around 11.30.Much, much earlier than last year! I no longer had to hang around waiting til she went off to sleep!Milly knowing about Santa has made the build up quite a lot easier for her but she was still very excited;-) She still wanted to do the traditional things,like our Xmas eve walk to listen for the sleigh bells. Santa always leaves a snowy footprint on the fireplace and she wanted to do that once I had told her how I did it!. We did however forget to leave out the carrot, mince pie and sherry!

We have never set a time that Milly has to stay in bed until on Xmas morning,we have always accepted it would be early and that it is part of the excitement of the day.. A few years ago we decided instead to arrange our day to suit an early start.this year Milly brought up about what time she might get up,she wanted to know a time.We did set a limit - and after discussion all agreed - not before 5 ....

We had been busy during the day and thought ( hoped ) she would be tired and not likely to wake up early.

Alan set up the bag of presents from Santa and we all settled down to sleep...

5 o'clock and Milly woke us gently.... She had been awake since 4.00!

And so we began our Christmas day...

             Skelanimal Tattoo's were a big hit!

Friends Box set - bought at a very good price from Morrisons on Xmas Eve - hours of fun to come..

A look of disbelief.Is this really what I think it is???

Is it? It is !!!

Oh my! It is so beautiful.An ipod touch:-)

Milly had been saving for a few months and had decided that any money she got for Xmas would go towards one.She also asked if we could save some of her xmas money and not buy any more gifts and put some towards it. Whilst I was researching them - so I knew what an ipod actually was! - what price they were etc - I saw a brilliant deal on Tesco direct. Alan and I decided to buy it ( to be reimbursed by Milly after Xmas ) instead of waiting til January.So glad we did!

So you think you know Lemony Snicket quiz book.

Manga, 20q, notebooks, DVD's, Beannie boo, Emily the Strange art book, and more...

Lemony Snicket autobiography.

Bath bombs, wooden chest to store special things in,nail-varnish,Phone (ipod) cover,Eclipse movie book,more Emily the strange merchandise,manga fairy shrinkles.A lot of lovely things from wonderfully generous friends and family.Set out near the tree where they stay for a week or so getting used and moved as the week goes by.

Milly asked me to take a shot of her writing in her new Emily the Strange locking journal, with new socks and nightie on and her new dressing gown nearby.The Lolo ball is always at her feet - its good to have something to jiggle when you like to move a lot ;-)

A leisurely morning ( Alan headed back to bed for an hour or so ) getting to know the ipod and checking out her presents,before getting ready to go to my Sisters for a late lunch.

Over the last few years we had tailored our Xmas days to take account of the early start and stayed at home, spending the day quietly.However after discussing it we were all keen to go to my sisters this year when they invited us.Alan and I had both hoped we would have a later start this year though ;-)

Got to my Sisters about 12.30 and around two o'clock a couple of Elves came along with wonderful glittery, sparkly, party head gear for us all to wear and the bubbly to go with the canapes and the party started!

A lovely family time, wonderfully hosted, with great food and good fun.

One drawback to such an early start is it can all fall apart later in the day :-) We all lasted quite well, but by early evening we were ready to head home and an early night set us back on track.

A quiet day at home!!!!

Staying at home today as Alan needs the car to get to work.

Emily got up at 6am ( was supposed to wake me to but for some reason didn't! ) with him to see the Eclipse.Didn't get to see it but they had a lovely early morning chat and she then went back to bed where she is still snuggled fast asleep at 10.30.

We have guests coming for tea tonight. My plans for my day at home look a little like this.

Freeze batches of veg tomato sauce ( made yesterday)  to be used in various meals over the next month or so.

Make a roasted butternut squash and red pepper soup for lunches over the holiday period.

Use the very ripe bunch of Bananas I bought at a knockdown price to make banana bread.

Make a sweet potato cake and ice it for pudd tonight.

Make a caramel sauce to go with the sweet potato cake or ice cream.

Boil and then roast potatoes.

Make Parmesan chicken nuggets (baked in the oven)

Hoover and generally give the place a quick once over.

Help Milly tidy her room in readiness for a sleepover tomorrow night.

Still in my nightie so better get a wriggle on!

Snowy garden...

I know so many of you will be looking at very similar scenes, but it it worth me recording it on here because we rarely see this amount in our part of Cumbria.

Argyll

Our first view of the cabins...

The view from the decking of our cabin.

Within ten minutes - clothes off - through the snow on the decking-  into the hot tub :-)

The interior of the lodge.

The cabin was advertised as having a log fire but had a wall mounted living flame fire.Slightly dissapointed at first, but it actually wasn't missed at all.

A clean and comfortable base for the next four nights.

After attending the welcome meeting at the campsite retreat the next morning, we went for a short walk to the beach near the loch and picked some mussels with the intention of cooking them - we forgot about them - and left them on the counter in the kitchen all day, so I had to throw them away! After a dip in the tub and some lunch we set off to explore one of the walks close to the campsite.

Alan was used as target practice all the way along the path :-)

Bulls eye!

Making the first Snow angel!

Back to the lodge after an hour or so.

Snow cones in the hot tub!!

When we were in the lodge we spent many a happy hour reading and watching TV.Milly had a blank sketch book and spent hours drawing and colouring.She created some wonderful images.

She has a signature style and enjoys drawing figures and designing outfits on them.They all have enormous eyes and a side fringe .

She started to add some jewel stickers to her later designs.

Hours and hours of colouring and sharpening crayons :-)

Time spent watching the sun go down.

The next morning was spent lounging around and then we set off after lunch to go to Loch Fyne to do a tree house walk we had heard about at the meeting.

It was windy and cold and required numerous layers but the snow was deep and soft and the walk wasn't too arduous.

The tree house was rather under - whelming!

Worth climbing up though..

Not a bad view,

a good place to munch on the chocolate bars we had taken with us...

Back down the track.

Time to do another couple of snow angels.

 

Mine.

Emily's.

Thursday - we decided to visit Helensburgh and have lunch.Our first home as a married couple was on the married quarters near there. I lived and worked in Helensburgh for a couple of years but couldn't remember much of it at all!!

Back home to the cabin for yet more lounging and hot tubbing :-)

We spent a wonderful, relaxing, peaceful time in a beautiful setting.The snow made it quite magical and sitting in the hot tub with the snow swirling around us is a memory I will treasure.