Christmas Eve

A most unusual Christmas Eve - we were at home - with just the seven of us - missing Alec of course, but peaceful knowing we would talk to him the next day.

Traditional dinner of fish, orange juice, olives, hummus, feta and volkhorn bread - followed by Tom's 'log'. It's a Baltic mission creation made by melting ice-cream and mixing it with condensed milk, cocoa, crushed chocolate bars and crushed biscuits - yep!

We read the nativity again, talked, and then all the kids took swags and mattresses up to Lee and Joan's house and slept under the newly fitted roof. Roger spent the night in his shed finishing my present - sure am glad he did that! And the early hours of the morning fixing the oven - sure am glad he did that too.

Stockings made by Jesse were laid out carefully and filled in readiness for Christmas morning.

Fire & Nutella S'mores

Fires for FHE are a favourite. This time we tried nutella s'mores - it wasn't too bad actually - a bit drippy but in a good way.

.

Tom was in Melbourne, Roger at work.

And that night Brenton went to hospital in an ambulance.

Christmas Parties

We do love a party - we especially love a party at Susie's house. We always feel like the guests of honour even though everyone else feels that way too. Instead of our usual Christmas Eve at Becky's house Susie hosted a Christmas gathering a week before Christmas.

All the essential elements remained - food, present swap, nativity play, laughter, reunions, and this year Harry!

The to round out a happy weekend we went to Petie's place for a pre-Christmas celebration since we would not be together on the day itself. More food, more presents, more laughter, more love and views.

Richard III

It's become a yearly event for us to attend the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble's production - much less highbrow than it sounds - they are geniuses at making Shakespeare accessible and with a few readings of Max's condensed version we had no trouble with Richard III this year.

We had all of our family (except Alec - although I did think this one might be a bit intense for Max - but since he started to cry when I suggested he sit this one out he came anyway), Anne, Joan and David, Beth, Monica and Simone, and Samantha Gilkes.

I, of course, would never take a photo in the middle of a live production - but I did hand my camera to Max - after all who is going to complain about a ten year old?

War & Peace: A Mormon Perspective

Jesse accidentally ended up speaking at a conference in Claremont Graduate University, CA, in March 2011.

She was procrastinating an assignment and found the conference and thought she might as well send in an abstract. And they accepted it!

After a few minutes of hysterical crying and laughing she is now really excited - about the conference of course but also because she gets to explore a topic she finds really interesting - Mormon responses to non-violent activism.

It will be a fascinating conference with some super interesting speakers and I get to go with her.

Useless Cares

Following a Family Home Evening lesson based around Wilford S Anderson's talk in the April General Conference we made a list of useless cares.

Max's contribution was: When I arrive at church and the Fulcher's car isn't there yet I worry that Robert & Samuel won't be coming, and it's a useless care because I will still be going to church and they are almost always there anyway.

Lunch

Running late for school Louisa asked Max to: grab me an apple and a cookie for lunch.

Max was adamant: I will not.

Louisa looked disconsolate till Max finished: An apple and a cookie is not enough for lunch - I will make you a sandwich too.

The Planets

Max has a thing for the Planets. After an evening of reading and talking he made a mouse pad of the Solar System and then went for walk outside to look at the stars.

"You know what Mum, I think that space is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."