I made a promise to myself last year that Christmas 2014 would be one to remember, and it certainly was. After resolving a few issues over the last few months I was genuinely looking forward to the prospect of celebrating the festive season with my family.
The first few days were quiet and peaceful. My mum and I relaxed, ate our own body weight in beautiful food (she’s a wonderful cook) and I was forced to watch re-runs of The Waltons in the morning and her beloved soap operas in the evening (during which NOTHING happened – why do people watch this rubbish?). On Christmas Day we woke up quite early, we exchanged gifts and then prepared ourselves for the whirlwind that is my youngest sister and her new husband, my brother-in-law, who were driving us to my middle sister’s apartment where we were going to eat our lunch. They didn’t disappoint, arriving in their Christmas jumpers with a car full of presents and a rather terrifying three-foot plastic gnome that they had called Ian.
It was truly the best Christmas Day I’ve had in a long time. We all opened our presents in a flurry of chaos, photographs (that included Ian the Scary Gnome) and thanks, much to the amusement of my middle sister’s new boyfriend. My youngest sister had brought a ‘selfie-stick’ to attach to her phone and the resulting photographs are some of my favourites of this year – Ellen DeGeneres can kiss my foot. My middle sister’s boyfriend left to spend to Christmas with his family and we started getting everything prepared (although when I say we, I mean my mum and sisters – I found a comfortable place on the couch and proceeded to work my way through several bottles of cider – too many cooks and all that), while my brother-in-law put together the Lego Star Wars set I had bought him.
The food was beautiful, particularly the truly epic chocolate cake that my brother-in-law had made and we spent the rest of the day playing games, taking and laughing. I laughed so much my face hurt. My mum worked her way through a bottle of champagne, accused us of cheating whenever she was losing, my sister fell asleep on the couch and by the evening we were shattered. We returned home and I was yet again forced to watch the Christmas episodes of the soaps, which were extremely depressing, only to realise that my mum had fallen asleep and had missed them. Dammit.
It was a Christmas to be thankful for. The Bloke is on his way to pick me up and we’re driving home, and I’m looking forward to curling up with him and the cats and watching TV programmes that don’t make me want to punch myself in the face. However, this will also be the first time where I won’t be feeling a sense of relief that the day is over, and I’m looking forward to the time where we can all get together again.
How about you guys? Did you have a Christmas to remember?
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Suzie Speaks 
Oh, is Ian going to make appearances at all family events now? Because that would be creepy and funny!
It sounds like y’all had a wonderful holiday, so glad to hear that! ❤
I don’t think the middle sister would be impressed – when we arrived at the apartment she was yelling “You’re not bringing that bloody thing in here!” when she saw us taking Ian out of the boot…
How was yours my lovely?
I’m still at stage of being glad the day is over! Funniest thing ever did you notice people nearly always open their mouths in selfie stick pictures. My friend got one and i swear we all looked like eejits with our mouths wide open. It was the best laugh ever! Glad you had a good Christmas 🙂
Thanks my lovely! You’re right about the selfie stick thing – a few of my friends got them and my Facebook feed was littered with pictures of open mouthed numpties! Hope you’re doing well – how was your Christmas?
Actually for someone who is not a lover of Christmas, this one didn’t go to bad, so no complaints 🙂
I’m still glad it’s over though lol
My Christmas was, partially, wonderful. My husband’s family is staying with us for seven days and it can be exausting to entertain your, and let alone someone esle’s family. But I managed to sneak a few hours for myself to read and write. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I’m so glad you got a bit of time to yourself – its always good to relax and do something that makes you happy! Staying for a week? No wonder you’re exhausted!
That sounds wonderful. Glad you had such a Merry Christmas!
Thanks Austin! I’ve only just caught up with your posts and they broke my heart a little – I promise that next year will be better…
Thanks, Suzie. You are sweet. 🙂
Hooray!!! Glad you had a good time.
Thanks Richard! How was yours?
Very good, thanks 🙂
I’m glad that you had such a wonderful time! My nephew begged us to play Risk all day and then when we finally did, one of his friends came over and he ditched us. We laughed though because we had played at least a few rounds first and my sister, his mom, won by one territory.
Haha! Typical – we played a TV and movie quiz game that we were all quite enthusiastic about at first but after the third game most of us got a bit bored… Did you have a good Christmas?
I did, thank you. Did you have one? I know it certainly sounds like you did!
How very nice! Nothing better than your cheeks hurting from laughing too much! 🙂
Thanks! How was yours?
Suzie, I had a truly wonderful Christmas with friends and family. So glad you had one that will forever have a special place in your heart.
I’m so glad to hear that my lovely – they’re always lovely memories to have!
Sounds fabulous. I’m glad you had such a great Christmas.
I miss crazy, full on family Christmas. Tomorrow marks 14 years since my dad passed away (2 weeks before I turned 20), in the years since I’ve spent Christmases with just me and my mum, 1 Christmas with me, my mum & a (now ex) boyfriend, 1 with me, my (now ex) girlfriend, 2 stepkids, my mum and our next door neighbours and 1 completely on my own having split from my girlfriend 2 weeks earlier. We’re quite a small family, just my mum, me and 2 older brothers (1 of whom does not speak to me or mum), their partners and a niece (sadly from the brother who does not speak to me). Next year there will be an addition to the family in the shape of a niece or nephew (who I’ll actually be able to have a relationship with) who by Christmas will be 6 months old.
My condolences about your father – it’s always the holiday times that are the hardest when we are missing loved ones. Your family sounds very much like mine – there is my mum, me and my two sisters and until this year my sister and I have had an extremely volatile relationship, so some Christmas’s have been spent with just two or three of us. We resolved a number of things this year when she got married (and he’s a really decent bloke too) and we made a massive effort this year…
Sounds like you had a great time. It’s awesome when you have nothing but a good time with family.
My Christmas was low key but still awesome. After a few years of huge get-togethers, it was nice to have a low maintenance Christmas. We are all back on for next year though, and I can’t wait!
So… I keep seeing people refer to jumpers. What is a jumper?
A sweater… A knitted sweater. Glad you a had a lovely time!
Wonderful post about a wonderful time. I felt my heart warming just reading it. I was forced to watch “Coronation Street” over the four days we spent with my in-laws. I think I have post-traumatic stress disorder as a result – what drivel! The only thing my Christmas lacked was an inflatable gnome. I’ll have to see about getting one of those for next year!
Sounds like you had a great day, Suzie. Hectic here but a couple of days peace before Hogmanay celebrations, draw breath then back to routine. Celebrating is exhausting. I need more days to recover from festivities now. Cosy nights – and silence. Hope you have a great New Year.x