Tuesday 29 December 2015

Looking for joy :: The Christmas Edition

Christmas this year was a mixed bag but overall it turned out well ... hindsight and rose tinted spectacles help enormously ;-)

Christmas Eve

 
This was my reward for tackling the supermarket for last minute items and loading the car with the logs for the wood burner.  It was God's gift to me, half an hour of peace and quiet at Leighton Moss!  Note to self must do this next year :-)

Christmas Day

 Opening presents a knitting machine for Pip and a build your own catapult for Benedict.


 A Lego Fr Leopold Celebrates Mass.

 Sara setting the table~ it wasn't that cold it's just that she loved her snowman hat!


 A flaming Christmas Pudding!

I cannot believe that I didn't take any pictures of the Christmas dinner, it was a case of eat it before it gets cold!  Suffice to say it was the usual roast dinner fayre with extra accompaniments of bread sauce and sage and onion stuffing.

Later in the day we played a new board game entitled "Best of British" and it was a load of fun.

Sara and Tom stayed an extra night as many roads were impassable due to heavy and prolonged weather and so they took the kids to the cinema for two separate screenings.  In the afternoon, Pip saw the "Good Dragon" and in the evening Benedict watched the latest Star Wars film, he was one happy chap!

Yesterday

Benedict spent the day with his cousin and Pip and I visited our home ed friends with their twin girls.  We had a very busy and fun day; the kids drew pictures, played with their toys and watched a short film.  After lunch we took their dog Alfie through the woods and into a field.  The walk is literally five minutes from their house but at the top of the hill you have a wonderful 360 panoramic view of our city, the sea and the lake district fells.  Pip and I both managed to slip in the mud so thank goodness for spare clothes :-)


Once home we were rewarded with a mug of steaming hot tea and a chocolate from the sweet tin.  We played pin the nose on the snowman followed by filling some home made bird feeders to take home:



Today

Pip and I visited Leighton Moss but were confined to the sensory garden and feeding stations since the majority of the paths were knee deep in water due to the recent heavy rains:

 Making Music.


"Hello There!"

  We have had some rather unusual visitors these past few weeks; first Abigail followed by  Barney, Clodagh, Desmond and Eva.  Storm Frank is now battering our shores so I guess tomorrow will definitely be a home day :-)  

Christmas Blessings x  

  

 

14 comments:

elli said...

I do hope you won't be flooded or lose electricity again!

dorinalouise said...

Wow! I can't get over all the storms you've had! Definitely stay cozy and warm inside tomorrow! It reminds me of one Christmas we had several years ago when we knitted and watched the snow and sleet pile up on the living room window: here and here and here too too.

ah well. that was a fun snowstorm only because we didn't have to go anywhere.

it's so nice to see your Christmas pics. Your dining area looks so pretty and cozy and Sara is lovely in her snowman hat :) The view of the city, the sea and the fells is gorgeous! So so pretty! Pip and Benedict's presents sound like a lot of fun, as does your new board game :) We haven't had a chance to play our new game yet this year . . Scrabble . . since we left the day after Christmas for my sister's and Greg has been working late every night since we returned. We'll visit my sister and parents again for New Year's Day.

Have a good home day tomorrow and send a pic of your bird feeders sometime :)

Lots of love!! xoxoxo

Eva said...

The grass is still so green in that picture! It looks like a wonderful celebration. What is a knitting machine? I remember my mom having and using one, but that looked nothing like the present Pip is opening. My German students told me all about that Star Wars movie and how much they wanted to see it when it came out. Kind of funny, I never had any urge to see it. Pip and the pheasant is a cute picture. Oh, and I did not know that I had come to visit in the form of a storm. You must have a bad impression of me now.

Sue Elvis said...

San,

I really enjoyed looking at your photos and sharing your Christmas joy! Thank you!

sustainablemum said...

It sounds like you have had a wonderful few days Sandra. Your Christmas sounds lovely. I am not suprised that Leighton Moss was under water let's hope that Frank does not do too much damage!

Hayley said...

What a wonderful time :)

Fingers crossed you keep safe and flood free x

Sandra Ann said...

We are still encountering plenty of rain but thankfully warm and dry :-)

Sandra Ann said...

We are still yet to hang up the bird feeders, the rain has been incessant and the ground very water logged, roll on Spring!!

Sandra Ann said...

The knitting machine that Pip has knits in the round but unfortunately one of the prongs has broken so we are awaiting a new part.

I must admit i smiled when they announced storm Eva :-) Thankfully she did not cause too much trouble;-) You are a dear friend x

Sandra Ann said...

Frank was positively feeble in our area compared to Desmond but sadly as you will be aware rather ferocious in other counties and the rain still keeps on coming :-(

Sandra Ann said...

Thanks for popping by :-)

Sandra Ann said...

Yes joy is a good thing to look for. I have missed your postings but I guess you are making the best of the weather with Andy home! Love to you all xx

Eva said...

Does that machine knit only hats and scarves then? I am glad I did not cause too much trouble, that would have been awful.

Sandra Ann said...

Yes and probably the doll size variety as the circumference is not that big!