Christmas 2022

[Gemini]

This is a place to tell us about your Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, any time you want to tell us about. Easier than it getting buried in Chat



Christmas Eve was very quiet. In fact too quiet it didn't feel like Christmas at all! I had welcomed a day at home after a busy week, but I decided next year to get out even for short walk to look at the lights or a hot chocolate in a cafe.

Christmas morning was up early so we could open our presents, have our traditional smoked salmon and scrambled eggs breakfast and be all ready to leave the house by 10.30.
We spent the morning with my mum opening all her Christmas presents with her and having some lovely chats. We stayed until her lunch was served then drove over to DD2's. We had a lovely relaxed day with them, and I claimed my annual hug from GD (not a hugger even to her parents)
DD and GS1 called in for while in the afternoon after visiting friends.
At home in the evening we watched some TV and assembled OH's football table which was her Christmas present. I think it will be played with on Boxing Day by many!

Today is Boxing Day and DDs, SILs and GC are all coming for a meal. We had a lovely traditional turkey dinner yesterday, today is shepherds pie. Plenty of dessert options. Christmas pudding, trifle, Yule Log and the gingerbread house made my GS2. Plus the usual Christmas cake and mince pies of course

[Oma]

We had the same Christmas Eve , very quiet in fact I didn’t feel it was Christmas till we got to DDs house
She always does a beautiful Dinner ,
B carved the Turkey as is tradition , SIL hacks it so leaves it to B ,

we had starters then did the Secret Santa , lots of laughter as B always gets the funny present ,
Last year he got a bag with 20 gifts from the Pound shop ,

This year he got a box when he opened it there was another box and so on 10 boxes in total till he came to the actual gift .
It was hilarious, lord knows how whoever gets him next year will top that 🤣
We then had a superb dinner Turkey Lamb and a mountain of trimmings .

We then had 3 games of bingo , that was so funny as people were missing numbers and dropping counters on the floor that the dog kept trying to run away with .
played for a line then a full house with little prizes ,
The last game was the big prize , I won ,
Out came this big prize wrapped up , it turned out to be a plastic tool box 😱 I kindly donated it to SIL 🤣🤣🤣

Then guess who I am headbands Dorothy got the hardest she was Mother goose , she just couldn’t guess it went on for ages with lots of clues ,
MIL couldn’t get the hang of the game so went outside for a cigarette 😁

Then puddings and coffee was served ,
We we’re all stuffed and tired after that .
We took MIL home about 5 and when we got home I put my PJs on made a cupper and watched telly
We couldn’t even manage a biscuit we were so full .

some tricky moments with MIL but on the whole she was ok so another successful day 😁🎄🎄

[Plantaholic]

GS2 and his wife arrived Christmas Eve, plus GD1 and her OH and H, they all stayed overnight. We played a very silly game, I was hopeless. After H had opened her presents Christmas morning, they had to leave to have lunch with GD’s OH’s family, they all wanted to be together having just lost their mother. Then GS1 and his family arrived, more presents opened. DS Dil and GS3 arrived to open presents, their dinner was cooking at home. They left and GS2 and his wife left to go to her family and the rest of us had a lovely lunch cooked by DD. I don’t think GGS and GGD stopped bouncing all day. Unfortunately my Sil developed a dreadful cold and struggled all day and GS1, who had recently recovered from a virus, at one point, after building Lego with his son he lay on the floor in the adjoining SR, his wife covered him over and he slept for an hour. We are not expecting any visitors today. Are you still with me!! Needless to say DD and Sil are not dressed and are sitting watching television. It was a very strange Christmas for us with all the comings and goings. I am going to spend the rest of the day watching all the recordings I set up yesterday.

[Daisy]

This is lovely, Gem, being able to read all about our Christmases. xx


With 11 for lunch on Christmas Day, I spent most of Christmas Eve day titivating the Christmas decorations up a bit, setting and decorating the tables (we needed two) and prepping veggies and trimmings for Christmas Day dinner. I'd done a marathon bake the day before. Then I remembered, our Christmas cake was till semi-naked! It was just about to decorate that when DS1, DIL1, both GS's and Bailey the Border Collie arrived - in two separate cars. GS1 wanted to show his car to our DS2 and discuss some jobs he wants to do on it! I still haven't got used to this 'new' grown-up version of GS1!!

DIL had kindly brought a great big bowl of chilli con carne, so I did rice and salad, a cheese board, and mince pies, etc. We all crowded round the kitchen table to eat, chat and laugh. I think it was quite noisy because both dogs left us to it!

DS2 had given the family the most amazing huge turkey from their local farm shop, so I was up at 6.30 on Christmas Day determined to do it justice by cooking it carefully! It was in the oven (thank goodness it fitted the new oven with space to spare!) by 7 o'clock. The basting was a two-man job. I couldn't lift it out of the oven once it was hot. Still it came out beautifully and I smothered it with tinfoil and layers to tea towels to rest. We had breakfast with DS and DIL - no sign of the GS's so early! Friends arrived late morning for Bucks Fizz and nibbles. Then DS2 and family arrived with their very excited daughters, and an equally excited Cooper. Lack of communication on the grown-ups' part (me and DIL1 really) meant the two dogs met head on and had a go at each other. Firmly separated and put on leads peace was restored. Eva ignored the whole situation. I do wish these two dogs liked each other!

DIL2's mum arrived, and by then we were ready for dinner! Like Oma, we all ate far too much, so decided to have puddings later, after opening presents. We had got each other hilarious cards and had fun helping the GDs to open their presents. Puddings went down well and everybody had at least two helpings! By 7 pm everybody had left and we sank, exhausted in front of the tv. A bit later I took Eva for a walk - I needed to stretch my legs and so did she! We got back in time to watch the Doc Martin Christmas Special, stacked the dishwasher yet again, and that was it!

Today, Boxing Day, is a quiet day - just a bit of pottering round and essential tidying up. Tomorrow is GD2's 9th birthday, so we'll be going over there for cake and presents. Then a few days "off" ready to celebrate New Year's Eve next week-end.

[Plantaholic]

A lovely day was had by all Daisy.

[Nanto2girls]

We had 3 extra for Christmas dinner.
Spent most of the day chatting,laughing and eating.
Visitors left about 6ish.

Today,we treat it like any other day.
We always have,thats the way we like it.

[Lizzie48]

Hallo everyone, you al seemed to have had a lovely , busy, Christmas Day. I am busy with a meal now, only, GD2 isn't well, coughing, sore throat etc so DIL will stay home with her, she loves my apple sauce so after I made it I got on the bike and took her a bowl! It is a lovely day after rain most of the day yesterday.

I have table etc to decorate yet, GD2 called in to see me on Saturday, she was coming today to help me, with her not feeling well I am managing on my own.

[Oma]

My two youngest have not long gone they have been hear most of the day ,
GS2 is a giant now towering above me and taller than Grandad , GD is tall for her age too ,
lovely day 😁

[WeeGranny]

Well, I had one of the easiest Christmases I can recall! I'd taken the gravy powder, stuffing mix etc to DS's on Christmas Eve and been shown which bus to catch, which stop to get off etc. We agreed on what time to put the turkey in, what veggies to do and I made sure the wine was in the fridge!
Christmas morning saw me have a leisurely breakfast before I went out for a walk. Sat in the Cathedral and remembered OH and other family members and times gone by. Lit a couple of candles and watched others coming and going.
Caught bus to DS's and he had the prep all done, turkey cooked and resting, he roasted all the veg which were really lovely and he even managed yorkshires ( from a packet, but only he and I knew!). No Chrissie pudding, instead a Slovak cream slice thing which was all I needed to be honest. Presents opened, DD face timed and it was time to catch bus back to hotel.
Today, back with him and he's cooked beef and ham and made a salad, plus pate and smoke salmon! Neither of us will go hungry!
Tomorrow he has a hospital appointment first thing then I think he's working. No matter, I've enjoyed walking round the town on my own and stopping for coffee when I've felt like it.
Back to UK on Thursday and into preparations for hosting DD and family on New Year's Day.
It was lovely to find familiar faces in the hotel and that it hadn't changed dramatically!
Lovely to hear what you've all been up to!

p.s. Doesn't GD look like DD, Oma?

[Oma]

Thank you WG she does have a look of her I think it’s the dark eyes 😁
Sounds like a wonderful Christmas you have had xxx

[Mimi]

We spent Christmas day at DS's, DIL and two oldest GC . It was a very relaxed day / evening.
Christmas at their home was legendary with up to a mixture of 15 adults and children but as people drift into their own lives, sometimes even moving away we have dwindled down in numbers but we all had a great time, several games were played and the new local themed Monopoly was opened.
When we left to come home ( almost midnight) the game was still going strong!

Oma your GC are beautiful. Our eldest GS towers above all of us, he is over 6ft and still growing. He is 21 but showing no signs of stopping.
We think that second youngest GS is following in his footsteps. At the moment he is at that 'gangly ' stage, all legs and arms !

Christmas eve we exchanged Christmas presents with our next-door neighbour's . They had given us a beautiful garden wind chime. That will be put away until the spring.

I can't tell you how many boxes of biscuits, bottles of gin and wine we have been given. I've run out of space when to put it all.

[Oma]

Mimi we didn't buy many Biscuits or chocolates as they get wasted . Then we got loads given , I said the same where do I put them 😄

[Gemini]

Mimi and Oma, the past 2 Christmases we put away a lot of chocolates and biscuits after Christmas and opened them from time to time in those dreary February and March days! I don't actually think we have such an excess of edibles so far this year ,but we are often given a lot at our New Years Eve party by very kind guests

Lizzie, I hope your GD is better,

Boxing Day was lovely. Food, games, laughs, and a baby makes everything more special doesn't it

[Glammanana]

After a quiet Christmas eve when all the gift bags where sorted and the meats where roasted,I did the Turkey/Ham and Beef to take to DDs for Christmas lunch my friend and I opened the Baily's and enjoyed a few posh nibbles both dressed in our Christmas PJs.

On Christmas morning up bright & early for smoked salmon breakfast and arrival of DS1 before he collected my DGD for her to come here for presents opening he was only allowed to have her for an hour and a half which was not long my now xDIL was not very obliging in letting her stay longer which DS1 found hard but she enjoyed opening all her gifts and was happy Father Xmas had brought all the things on her Christmas list.Whilst she was doing this I cracked on and did Jim next door his dinner along with a mini bottle of wine as he had refused to go to his sisters house for the day so at least I could relax knowing he was well fed.

After a quick shower DS1 drove us over to Liverpool to DD & Partners house to spend the day for lunch she did a fabulous meal for 14 and I was so proud of her she did so well she never got flustered one little bit even though "his mother" did try to tell her how to make the gravy which didn't go down very well but hey-ho.

It was wonderful having all my DGCs together they all bounce of each other and are so funny sadly I was missing 2 x DGSs one was with his family as he has just come out of hospital and too poorly to travel and his brother had gone over to help cook the xmas day meal so he and his wife
could still enjoy the day with my 2 x GGCs .

After a lovely afternoon DS1 brought my friend and I home about 7ish and we had a quick change all in time for Call the Midwife enjoyed along with more Bailey's and mince pie's & cheese and crackers we where in bed by midnight totally exhausted but what an enjoyable day with family.

[Lizzie48]

You seem to all have had a lovely Christmas. We had a lovely meal, GD2 and DIL stayed home, I just got a message that she isn't right yet. they are planning on going to Antwerp on Thursday so I hope she is better for that.

I seemed to be busy all day preparing the meal, luckily it all went well and everyone enjoyed it.