Hope everything’s going well for you!

We had a great Christmas. My parents and Aunt spent 3 days with us and my younger brother came for dinner as well. I got a Sony reader which I wasn’t expecting, so I’m very excited (still have to get it set up though). Daughter got Band Hero which we all played and made pillocks of ourselves – it was brilliant! And also World Monopoly where you buy cities and deal in millions on a credit card – my brother slaughtered us.

Boxing day, both brothers came over and we ate the leftovers and had a great day.

Got some cash to put towards a new laptop, a necklace/earring set I’d been wanting, the cutest pics of our youngest.

The best gift, though, came from my grandmother-one I wasn’t expecting at all.

It’s a framed, matted & mounted needlepoint history of my life with my husband.

Bordered on one side, it’s about him, it list things like: Husband, Father, brother, son, deacon, pressman, dallas cowboy fan.

On the other side, it’s me: Wife, Mother, daughter, sister, author, nurse.

At the top, it lists the church where we married, the day.

Then it lists our kids, and what they like to do…the bratler-reading and horses, my little Romeo, math and transformers, the baby bratlet, candy and climbing.

Below that, it has trips we’ve taken-Alaska (with an igloo stitched in), Ireland and four leaf clovers, the zoo and a tiger, and Disney…including Cinderella’s Castle.

Down at the bottom, it reads: All Because Two People Fell in Love.

I had a fabulous Christmas although others might not think so. Those who know me and my writing know I run…er, ran…a 34 room motel, one we have been trying to sell for a while now. We sold it on the 22nd December and just got in the car and took off. Ofter spending some time with our son who we haven’t seen in 2 years, we ended up in a fancy hotel in Brisbane. No phones ringing, no motel laundry to do, no guests knocking on the door at all times of the night. Just the two of us, wandering around Brisbane, holding hands and wandering through the shops, no ties on our time, no one to please but ourselves. After 6 years running the motel, and 37 years married, it was nice to rediscover the closeness of our earlier relationship. That was the greatest Christmas present I could have ever wanted.

Later in the month we’ll go spend time with our daughter.

Christmas was all about my daughter who this year was old enough to be excited about giving also. We had an amazing morning opening presents slowly and really having a quietly brilliant moment.