2013 here we come! We have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and I hope you have too?
I always love this time of year. The hum of ‘holidays’ is in the air – the freedom of time; family members home from distant shores; cars loaded with bikes, kayaks and trailers; sail boats a plenty; seafood and ham; warm summer days and favourite festivals.
To showcase our festive time I have five super slide shows for you:
Kate & Gus’ Wedding
We celebrated two weddings over the Christmas period! The first was Kate and Gus’ beautiful morning wedding on the 21st December in the Cascade Gardens, followed by a superb lunch at Prossers On The Beach. My sister Cath and her daughter Bronte looked after Poppy and Nick and I had a ‘day-off’. It was fantastic to be out with Nick, celebrating this special day with our friends.
Christmas
We had a lovely Christmas, kicking off with Christmas Eve drinks with Nick’s family where Poppy loved playing and dancing with her big cousin, Ruby. We ate beautiful food and even opened a few sneaky presents before Santa officially arrived.
On Christmas morning, Nick and I donned our Santa hats and sang “Jingle Bells” to Poppy in her cot. She promptly dropped her bottom lip and started crying – C’mon, our singing wasn’t that bad? She loved delving into her big Christmas stocking and finding all sorts of goodies (binoculars, a snow dome, bubbles and a santa cup).
We ventured downstairs for her to open the rest of her presents which included a red shopping trolley, a couch and a new doll – Madame Constance.
We then drove up to Bracknell to have lunch at my sister, Janelle’s house where we hung out all day with my family. We ate far too much food but enjoyed the warm weather and time with family.
Boxing Day was a very slow day at Nick’s parent’s place in Launceston. My sister Rob and her husband Paul joined us for lunch, where we watched the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on TV.
‘Mill Farm’
Nick had to work for the rest of the week so he returned to Hobart and I stayed with Mum & Dad on the farm at Hagley where I grew up. It was so wonderful seeing Poppy collect the eggs with ‘Nanna’, pick raspberries, feed the fish in the pond, pat the new kitten – Maddy, check out the crops and spend quality time with her cousins.
I also took Poppy to the Macaque Monkey Enclosure in City Park in Launceston, where she loved the ‘baby monkey’!
Jo & Ben’s Wedding
Jo and Ben were married on a beautiful evening on the 29th December just out of Launceston and Poppy had a sleep-over at Nanna’s. We felt so privileged to have shared Ben and Jo’s special day with them – the company, the food, the fashion, the speeches, the dancing, the location – wow, what a night!
The next morning we joined them again for lovely brunch, with Poppy in tow.
New Year
New Year’s Eve snuck around and we spent the evening with Nick’s family in Hobart. Once again there was beautiful food shared (I will definitely need to start that diet soon) and a trip out on Nick’s Dad’s boat to see the 9:30 pm fireworks. Alison kindly stayed at the flat minding the sleeping babies – Max, Maggie and Poppy. We returned for a late supper and to experience the midnight fireworks from their balcony.
The next day Nick and I took Poppy down to the docks to admire the fast ocean racing fleet from the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. Wild Oats XI is certainly one mean looking machine! We had a bite to eat at The Taste Festival and met up with Will, Tup and Maggie for a play at ‘Kids in the Park’.
The next afternoon we went out on the boats and anchored off Long Point and enjoyed the view … and the weather! Bellisimo xxx
The Poppy Files 
The festivities!