First Aussie Christmas

We've mentioned to a few of you how celebrating Christmas in the warmth of summer doesn't feel quite....like Christmas. At least for us. Nonetheless, our first summer Australian Christmas was a good one and hot or cold, Christmas is still Christmas. It took a little more effort to get into the spirit and enjoy the Christmas season and when we finally got busy decorating and preparing and trying to make Christmas happen, we had a good and very blessed Christmas.

Since Christmas day was on Sunday this year, the kids with Adam at the lead, were concerned about Santa coming on Christmas day. Adam asked if we should write a letter to Santa and ask him to come the day after Christmas instead so our Sunday could still be a sabbath Sunday. (And that was without any parent suggesting it be so!) He wrote a quick letter in case it was too late (he mentioned his thoughts only a few days before Christmas) and put it by the tree. Christmas morning, the kids woke up (and I am sure they checked to make sure Santa hadn't come) and got ready for church. Eli had found a fun Christmas tie to wear at a thrift store with mommy the week before and Mary Alice was happy to see that mommy was dressed in Christmas colors just like her. Adam joined in with a red shirt and green tie and daddy wore a red bow tie. Thankfully sacrament meeting was at 10:00 instead of 9:00 in the morning, so we had a bit more time to enjoy a Christmas breakfast. After sacrament meeting we came home and looked at our festive colors and house and felt a little more Christmas after all the Christmas hymns we had sung at church. We took snacks to the backyard and mom decided that we needed a Christmas family picture or two....or 50. So we took a few "good" family Christmas pictures in our festive Christmas dress.

I Love these kids.


A bit of the sillies.

Dave.

Eli. Happy, growing up, and... absolutely silly.


Adam. Goofy, serious, and as his teacher at school says, "Cheeky".


My girl. La, la, la. Mary Alice.

Adam was happy to oblige at first, but after 3 "this is the last one"
and having to put on a pair of flip flops to fit in, got a little bit grumpy about the pictures.
He does not like flip flops and has never liked taking too many pictures out in the hot sun, no matter where he is sitting...

Aaah.

Dressing down.

After mom finally decided we had taken enough picts,
Dad decided to help Adam get out of his grumpy.
(But first he made sure Adam took off his leather belt.)

Much better!

Of course, Eli needed a turn too and Mary Alice enjoyed watching all the fun.

Eli tried to hang on to Daddy...

but Dave managed to detach.

And avoid the splash?

Is daddy next?


Mary Alice was ready for her turn

after changing her dress (mommy's orders).

After that, the kids took turns pushing, pulling or chasing each other back into the water and enjoying every minute of it.

Adam managed to get Eli in more than once. (Eli wouldn't tell you that.)
And...Eli got Adam too.

Mary Alice ran into the water when threatened.

And....

this time...

they both went in.

After a few more nudges from dad (who still managed to stay out)

and lots of smiles and splashes and...

one more photo...

we decided our one time only special Sunday swim needed to come to an end.
After getting into dry clothes, the kids were ready to open one present.
The rest of the presents were left for boxing day, which is the day after Christmas.

While waiting for mommy, Adam got the camera ready and daddy fell asleep.

In the evening before bed, the kids wanted to read the nativity and act it out one more time. Dave narrated, Mary Alice played Mary, Eli played Joseph, a shepherd and a wise man and Adam was the donkey, a shepherd and a wise man too. Mommy got to be the angel. The kids love doing the nativity with our family.

It was a very special and warm Christmas day here in Australia. We enjoyed our time together as a family. Though the kids have decided that we will need to have a Christmas where the snow and family are again in the future...