HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!
Hi all
As you probably realise by now, I didn't get around to doing the blog last month as nothing interesting happened, but we did have a lot of running around to do!
December, however, is a different kettle of fish altogether, what with the run up to Christmas and the New Year. We have loads of photos of the festivities and also have some videos, but I will leave the videos til another time as they take ages to edit and make smaller for the blog, and I have already spent nearly 3 days sorting out the photos!
I'll start with the pre Christmas photos.
 |
| Jacarandas in our street |
 |
| Cockatoos at the weir |
A couple of weeks before Christmas, John and family came up as Maya had a school camp at Point Walter - on the Swan River - John and Silvia had a couple of days to themselves in Fremantle, and Emil and Benjamin stayed with us. Here's s few photos of their visit.
 |
| Emil making a big splash in the pool! |
 |
| ....he seems to have got fatter! (with trapped air) |
 |
| Now it's Benjamin's turn..... |
 |
| Another big splash! |
 |
| Having a rest afterwards |
 |
| Silvia |
 |
| Jo with Alex and Lizzie having a pre Christmas get together here |
We went down to John and Silvia's for Christmas on 22nd December and stayed til New Year's Day and had a really wonderful time, as you can imagine. Here's the photos, starting with one of the local residents who frequent John's front garden most days!
Here are some of the Christmas decorations
Wooden table decorations from Germany
 |
| Bill and Marion were with us too! |
 |
| Emil's Christmas Wreath |
The main day was Christmas Eve as in Europe, with the big meal in the evening.
 |
| Silvia's cookies, Maisie's cake and the kid's Igloo! |
 |
| Emil | |
 |
| Benjamin in his Christmas Viking hat! |
 |
| Maya looking very grown up, helping out! |
 |
| Maisie |
 |
| Mike |
 |
| John.... |
 |
| ...and Jo. |
 |
Christmas family photo
|
 |
| ....Maya poured our cocktails with special ones for the kids. |
 |
| We had our entrees outside.... |
We then went indoors for the main meal.....
 |
| The turkey.... |
 |
| ....dishing up..... |
 |
| ....Benjamin got a leg! |
We than stopped for a break from eating and Emil and Benjamin did a very funny 'skit' for us. Unfortunately we only have a video of it, so you will have to see that another time. Maya played the guitar and sang for us, then we had the Christmas pudding!
Next were Christmas stories from Benjamin and Emil and Maya, which were very lovely.
 |
| John lit the 'real' candles on the tree.... |
 |
| Emil and Maya read the story of Christmas...... |
and Benjamin told us a different Christmas story which was equally lovely and very well told.
.
 |
| He then handed out the presents! |
On Christmas Day morning there were more presents and new wet suits were tried on by Emil, Maya and Benjamin.
 |
| Emil in wet suit, goggles and huge flippers! |
 |
| Maya and Benjamin in their wet suits. |
 |
| Having fun with the Lego train set! |
After a late breakfast we went to Greens Pool to test the water and the new swimming gear!
 |
| Emil and Maya far left, John and Benjamin on the right |
 |
| Emil |
 |
| Emil again.... |
 |
| ...and coming out..... |
 |
| ...and John and Silvia - Merry Christmas we don't need mistletoe! |
 |
| The gingerbread igloo was eaten for afternoon tea! |
 |
| A beautiful pork joint was eaten for the main meal in the evening!. |
The weather had been beautiful from the time we arrived on 22nd December and continued through to Christmas day, as you can see from the beach scenes. However during the night on Boxing Day we had a big storm and loads of rain! Since then and until we came back on New Year's Day (when it was sunny again) it was cool and cloudy with intermittent drizzly rain!
Here's some photos of things we did between Christmas and New Year's Eve. As you can see, we are now wearing jackets!
While everybody else were busy doing other things, we took Benjamin to the Alpaca Farm. He has been many times before but always enjoys seeing all the animals!
 |
| An inquisitive roo!! |
 |
Picnic lunch in Harewood Forest on the way home
from the Alpaca farm | | |
On New Year's Eve afternoon, we went for a walk along East River Road where the council want to put a new road and bridge right across the river and through the heritage forest. Here's some photos of the lovely scenery and 300 year old huge tress they want to destroy!
 |
| Benjamin crossing the river in the East River forest |
 |
| One of the huge old trees! |
 |
You can see how big it is compared with
the people below |
 |
This tree fell on the very day the council announced
the road/bridge plans! |
 |
| Benjamin decided to have a swim - John didn't! |
 |
You can just see that Benjamin's hands and
feet look orange from the colour of the water! |
 |
| I wonder who lives here?! |
We had no more rain, and New Year's Eve was celebrated in style with family and friends with all the usual hilarity! We played the 'bottles on strings' game and later the 'brush and pan' game, which were accompanied with Silvia's Black Forest Gateaux and a highly decorated - by the kids - Pavlova and, of course, plenty of wine and champagne for the adults and soft drinks for the kids.
 |
| Emil and Jo are competing here! |
On the left are Silvia and John competing in the 'bottles on strings' game. Whoever gets their bottle wound up and off the floor first is the winner. Then the winners play off in heats!
 |
Maisie and Tia - here you can see the object of the game,
Tia has won this heat! | |
 |
| Mike held the bottles before the 'Off!' |
 |
| Benjamin and his friend having a go! |
The cakes!
We then went indoors for various 'turns' which were mostly funny poems, but Jo did us proud by painting this picture upside down and using coffee instead of paint!
 |
| The painting - now the right way up! |
Next we played the 'brush and pan' game, which is always hilarious! You have to get the ball into the dust pan. The one who does it in the fewest 'hits' is the winner!
 |
| Jo having a go, 4 hits ..... |
 |
| ...Emil, up in a corner! about 7 hits.... |
 |
| Mike, who took about 7 hits! |
 |
| Belle - the winner, who did it in 2 hits! |
 |
| Brian, showing how it all starts! |
Then it was time for the Champagne to see the New Year in!
Silvia pouring the Champagne - and what a lot of wine bottles!
And to end the festivities, we all had sparklers!
Phew! Well that's it for now. If I have time to sort out and make smaller the videos I'll send another email out to let you know!
We hope 2017 will be a happy and healthy one for everybody!
Enjoy!
