I cant believe it's all over!

Well, here we are, BOXING DAY already! Where has December gone? Christmas day, has been and gone, everyone is totally happy with this years pressies and peace reigns in the Youd household (for a few days anyway!). A big surprise for us on Christmas eve! Rosso, Lukes mate who is like a 4th son to us, walked down our driveway!! (he moved to Ingham about 18 months ago or more), I was only saying to Luke the day before, how much i missed him coming for his Christmas Dinner (he was bought up Jehovah, and had never had Christmas before he met us, he has spent every Christmas day at our house for the last 4 years, I felt overwhelmed that he had driven down especially to be with us! and to make it all the better, i had no idea!!)

Cameron received some (much needed?) PSP accessories and games and of course..the guiness book of records! Aaryn finally got his batman blaster and Hero guitar (which is one of the best sony accessories and i just love it!).

We had a great day starting at Tina's for Brekkie, Where Poppy, dressed as Santa and seemed to really enjoy his new role in life!! (very worrying lol)

then over to Hayley's for lunch and then back to ours for dinner! why do we just seem to eat all day?

Finished the day with the traditional Poker match! (hayley bought gary a poker set, so the 'boys' were very professional this year LOL.. (photo, Gary

, Rosso, Luke, Tina's head and Zeb)

I always feel a little sad on Boxing day so see Christmas gone, this year is the same, although not as bad as we get to do it all again in 2 weeks when my brother arrives!!...

It will soon be time to take down all the lights outside, but we'll leave them on for another week, AT least it's not going to be so hectic as it has been and we'll be able to relax and enjoy the Christmas season, hopefully do something nice new years eve with all the kids!

In regards to our wishing well, we have raised in excess of $300 for the precious babies at NGH, so will leave the well out until after new year, for passer's-by (we had heaps in last night, but left them to their own devices, we needed time out lol)..

I think to date, Christmas 2006 has been our best yet! Good friends, family and lots of love, that's the secret!!

Love this pic of Aaryn..the kewl dude he is!!

TA..DA..

and here is the finished project!!!...well most of it..you cant see the 8ft santa's on the lawn to the right of santa's workshop (aka the garage lol).. lights on the roof, move,and you cant quite see the blue drop lights that go along the front of the house between the blue poles..nor can you see the G'day Mate sign behind the palm tree, shall put in more photo's later, i was just learning how to use camera with aperture and some other technical term tonight LOL...

FINALLY

Fairy lights finished!

The end of painting the lights has arrived. I've painted 2050 bulbs this year now all that's left to do is put them up. I've just put the igloo into the garden and Gaz has to get on the roof and put up Santa and Rudolph and the other Santa in the chimney..The fairy goes on a 20ft pole to go up the 30ft Christmas tree in the front yard!!! BUT as luck would have it..it's too windy to get on the roof or put a pole up, so he's having the day off work tomorrow, hopefully it will be done then. That's it then, finished, ready for the big tour to start on Saturday!!..bit excited this year as a little birdy told me the newspaper is coming to surprise us with a little interview, quite famous, We've already been mentioned on the radio as we are fund-raising for the hospital and they arranged a little announcement to get the ball rolling!! which reminds me. THE WISHING WELL, has to be pulled out and put in the front garden with the signs around it. I guess everyone is sick and tired about hearing about the lights but to be honest, that's all that's happening here at the moment..give me til next week, then it's 3 of the 5 kids birthdays ..YES..3 of them in the space of 6 days!! Hayley on the 15th, Tina on the 20th and Cam on the 21st!! not to mention Monika (adopted daughter of sorts!!) on the 19th and her Citizenship ceremony on the same day..an exciting time for everyone!!... 20 MORE SLEEPS TO GO and then it's all over for another year!! (and still no presents bought, how slack i have been this year indeed!!!)

just an ordinary update!!!

Not a lot happening in this household other than LIGHTS, LIGHTS and more LIGHTS! we still haven't finished decorating but have to be by Friday ready for the start of the Wonderland of Lights tour!! I'll be painting light bulbs until new year the way i'm going, i'm still to paint the 6ft fairy and the 6ft santa going down the chimney, touch up some of the ones already up and paint the igloo doorway!! shouldn't take too long LOL...I'm going to work out exactly how many lights there are later too (just a bit of mathematics, Cameron will help me,!!! you get sick of people asking how many and just saying..A LOT..so this year i'm going to stump them by giving them a number LOL..) We are collecting for the Special Baby Care Unit at the hospital, so hope we can raise lots of $$ for them. Had the kids carols last night, we lasted 45 minutes! Absolutely DREADFUL, had to have them in the highschool hall because of rain, it was hot, stuffy and far too noisy, trying to fit a whole school into a far to small area, kids running riot, and the school band that they had were just woeful! couldn't hear the kids for the noise coming off the school, the classes were to have gone onstage at 5.30 at 6pm we were still waiting for the wretched noise makers to get off the stage so kids could get on..Usually our carols are one of the best around, but the last 2 years have been shocking..wont be going next year if they are in the hall, BRING BACK THE OVAL i say!!!..Cameron was pleased to leave as well, he said he wont go again!! Aaryn was not to pleased to say the least, he was having fun playing on the oval with his mates, and couldn't understand why we were so hot and frazzled..(probably because the man sitting beside me who i didn't know, was clapping so loudly, singing along to the songs just as badly as the kids and gave me a migraine) to add insult to injury, Miss Emily, decided that nanna's boobies would make a really good chair, so promptly, stood on my legs and then plopped her bottie square on them, she was the only comfortable person in the room LOL..when trying to get her off, the man beside me had a thrill, as my top came down with her and the 'seating arrangement' was revealed to all!! shall update with some photo's of the weekend later, i'm off to Tina's to do a bit of much needed christmas present scrapping now!!