The Last Few Weeks...tiring.
Kids started Holidays, and then I was frantic; should I really buy this or that?; and the cards [over 50...] were not sent as I promised myself, and as someone else says- Email them!
I did not. Do either...
- Family Crew bar one
Anyway, Last Weekend, my lil sis invited all 27 family members on her side and four of her other half's family to Christmas Lunch at her newly built house- it was also a house warming! They had it built over last winter after much hand wringing and wishing, NOW they were in. And We Were All There [bar one].
We arrived the evening before, as lil sis would love to be in on the unwrapping early Christmas Morning with her nieces. It had been a long drive after work, and by 10pm, it was hard to be socializing with new people- so was not at my best. But a beer is a beer! Midnight rolled around, and the children asleep. Ahhh.
Christmas morning. I had made up a guacamole dip, and had some Mulled Wine simmering to add to the smell of the roasting meats filling the house- so very pommy in a way, I though, cos the day was cool, so it sort if matched. Anise, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and my favourite home made shiraz/syrah. I liked it, and no one really came up for a taste... Strange, but other wise, what a lunch.
There was beef, lamb and pork roasting merrily away with my frazzled maybe-soon-to-be-brother-in-law worryingly swapping the trays from oven to BBQ.
Family members piled in and given a guided tour. Cars unloaded. Food presented to the hosts and prepared. The older grandchildren- seven 15 to 21yrs olds- took up a whole room- chattering away. Parents and Pa and Nan were in the family room- wittering away. The younger grankids were busy catching up too. A very loud buzz.
My brother said "Kids up front, serve yourselves" after he had spread out some crustaceans and carved up the meat. Roast taters, sweet taters, and salads. Gravies and sauces and cranberry spread. Lunch was on.
So by the time the Big people got to the meat trays, there was not much left...
It was decided for Next Year, Big People First. Ah, kids, give 'em an inch...
But we all had enough in the end. Dessert was Pavlova, thanks Ree. And Liz had the pudding. Me oh my. Full as.
Anyway, before we all managed to settle down to digest a large meal with some ales, as host, Lance (he is a road bike racer- hence...) wanted to play Cricket with his new bat, ball and wickets (quarter sized- but what can you do?), so all the guys and grandkids were persuaded to come out and play... The grandkids of the female side went to the park, and the males to The Oval, with the Uncles. Meanwhile two of my brothers were going over PT's new BMW m'bike... so they were The Late Uncles.
- Action and Inaction...
Quite funny, watching a coupla pudgy middle aged dads trying to run tween the wickets in front of the younger crew. Well, I thought being as full as a goog and not even drunk, the running was hard, so there. Specially after a hard hit ball, I tell you! And the grandkids loved to hurl- I mean Bowl- the ball at you!
After all that fun, we returned to the hoose for pichas in the nearly finished backyard. See above.
And then wondered whether to fit some more food in...
And that was Just Christmas Day.
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