christmas past

Really, Christmas is all too short. The good bits are anyway. 

Every year it feels like it drags on for months - at least thats what the department stores would like us to think - and by December, everywhere is shrieking Christmas, until I'm fit to burst with all that false Christmas cheer. 

Even at home it seems to take over our life... between cards and carols, cleaning and decorating, making, baking and wrapping, it's all about The Night (or The Morning for most of you)

Have you noticed though, that the day after is always such a relief? It's as if some one has pulled the plug and deflated a huge ballon - the pressure escapes and all that is left is a feeling of lassitude and inertia..... oh, and a lot of mess and good food!!  

All our girls looking beautiful (yeah ok I'm biased!)

Nina, our oldest, and her partner Zac who is a very talented jeweller......every year we hope he has one of us girls for his secret person!! 

Layla and her partner Danial who seems to like the title on her little book! 

Our oldest son and his delightful fiancee..... who was not inspired by the talking parrot he got! 

Two clowns in new underwear.... what can I say? 

But really, between all of that there is a good bit. Thats the bit when The Big Dinner is on the table and I know that what ever wasn't done or didn't go right or hasn't been made, baked or sent, doesn't matter any more and the only thing left for me to do now is E.N.J.O.Y.

I finally had a chance to look back at our Christmas photos today and I was reminded of that small window of time - when everything was just as it should be in that very moment. And I wanted to document it in this space because really that's what all that busyness and pushing-myself-to-the-max culminates in, right? An evening of joy, togetherness and family. 

The wee granddaughter slept through Christmas Eve but did get to open her gifts in the morning.

As we expected, she loved the baubles and paper more than her gifts! 

And although every year I feel overwhelmed for all of December and every year I think that next year I'll do/bake/make less, when I look back and reminisce over the photos, I think how beautiful it was; how special and how much I love them all.

I love them all enough that next year I'll do it all again - oh so gladly! 

Und so ist Weihnacht wieder vorbei. Ich bin froh. Es ist mir immer so viel Arbeit und für so eine lange zeit voraus..... aber wenn ich hinten her alle Foto anschaue dann ist mir die Arbeit immer wert! Am heiligen Abend wenn die Kinder alle zusammen essen, lachen und sich freuen, dann denk ich wie lieb sie alle sind und wie gerne das ich jedes Jahr ein schönes fest mach!

Foto von oben.....

1. L bis R. Layla, Shamir, Eljana, Nina

2. Nina und ihr Lebensgefährte 

3.Layla und ihr freund  

4. Juri und seine verlobte, Monica

5. Remo und Juri blödeln mit neue Unterhosen! 

6, 7, 8. Unser kleine Enkelin beim ersten Christbaum.