A different Christmas

So... Christmas was a little different for my family this year. It started with my brother needing to get out of bed at around 4am to pick me up from Melbourne Airport. Considering he's usually not even in bed by 4am this was a little different for him. Thankfully I'd given him prior warning so he managed it. On the other hand the rest of my family had no prior warning. Dad was the first one to get a bit of a shock. On the way back to Ballarat I picked up some breakfast and for everyone and once I arrived home had put it on the kitchen table then wandered off down the hallway to find my first victim. Dad was wandering up the other way 'I've brought you some breakfast' I said, and he just stopped, for about 30-40 seconds. Hmmm have I given him a heart attack and he's rigor mortised? Thankfully after I reminded him about breakfast and that it would get cold he came back to life and worked out who I was! Then there was Mum, luckily she was still in bed so I didn't have to worry that she might fall over. I think both parents were sufficiently surprised.

So that was the parents sorted. Next was Matt and Megan who Mum then convinced to come over for lunch. So cut it short basically I opened the door when they rang and they were a little shocked. Pleasantly of course. Adrian, Mel and the boys were on their way back from Adelaide and again Mum convinced them to pop in on their way home because she said they were going to ring me. I'm glad they didn't do the maths because it would've been sometime around 4am for me in the UK. Again a huge surprise for them all.

Christmas morning was fun with the boys coming over then about midday we drove down to Chelsea(2hrs) to have lunch at Gran's with cousins and Aunties some of whom I hadn't seen for about 15 years.

We stayed down at Gran's that night then headed back to Ballarat on Boxing day. On the way back we stopped by Chelsea beach, then Rex's Hunt D'lish Fish to have some Fish'n'chips in Port Melbourne. That's gotta be done if you're going to Melbourne.

After Christmas the next few days flew by. Spent a few hours surfing(well pathetically attempting to) in Torquay then stayed a night with Caleb and Merren caught up on all their news, recent family additions and future family additions. Saw some of the WV guys had dinner with Collette then went out to a bar with Brent, Greg and Claire.

Back up in Ballarat I managed to fit in a round of golf, although it was in 42degree heat and repacked some of my things I'd left in boxes. Throwing out a heap of clothes that were 'like sooo last season'.

New Years was pretty quiet having dinner with Matt at GeeCee's then watched Sydney fireworks on his 6ft TV after Megan had finished work. Then I flew back to the UK on the 1st! Holiday over.

For those I didn't get chance to catch up with(Matt and Relle a surprise that failed!) how 'bout you pop over this way? Yeah?

pics on their way