On Xmas eve we rushed home from work and packed up the car with all the pressies (plus suitcases, wellies, anoraks, food, alcohol, and lots of other stuff that we threw in at the last minute!). We headed down the motorway towards Wales.
We made it home in time for dinner (lobster macaroni cheese, mmmmmmm! and creme brulee, mmmmm!), were reunited with all the family and settled in for the eating and drinking marathon.
We dressed the ginger kitty up in a sparkly christmas bow. To express his displeasure he caught a mouse and at its head outside the front door on Xmas morning. Little brute.
I transported a Christmas wreath for mum - she was very pleased with it!
On Xmas morning we headed out for a crisp and sunny walk near mum and dads' house. Important to build up a good appetite. We always go for a walk on Xmas morning. When we were little we used to moan about it but we sort of just accept it (and even enjoy it) now. Such a special memory, coming home to a hot house with cold, pink cheeks, the smell of the turkey roasting in the oven, the anticipation of pressies. The first glass of champagne to celebrate. Ooo, lovely!
We came across a field of mountain ponies, mist pluming from their nostrils, warm, peaceful and totally beautiful.
When we got home, we donned our finery, and the eating and drinking commenced!
Shocking amount of presents. And this was after we'd all agreed to keep it low key this year.....
The happy aftermath.....
The day after Boxing day we headed to Devon to visit R's mum and her partner. We presented the kitties with their pressies....
They went down extremely well! Two happy cats. And two very soggy mice.
We took a lovely sunny trip to Seatown and had fish and chips overlooking the beach. Wrapped up in about a million layers!
The most beautiful sunny winter day. Sparkling sea and such blue blue skies.
The next day we woke up to find that Jack Frost had been....
We visited the sheep. They were fine. Decent Xmas, nothing special.
Giant cat!
After a couple of days we got in the car once again and made our way to Pembrokeshire, to wilder, altogether less forgiving coastline. It's become a bit of a tradition to spend NYE down there, huddled up, away from the hustle and bustle, shutting ourselves off from the rest of the world. Everyone needs a bit of that from time to time, don't they?
This year we were joined by mum, dad, my sister and her boyfriend and my uncle. It was a collective effort, everyone doing/ bringing something.
My sister's boyf, Huw, made the most delicious truffles that got eaten very very quickly.....
R cooked scallops with chilli, garlic and coriander. Delish.
(and we had some oysters too..)
I made beef wellington (with lots of help from R), that actually didn't turn out to be a disaster! Woohoo!
Nen (baby sis) made her signature brownies for pudding. Oh my.
Just before midnight, we all piled into the car and drove to the beach (another tradition, but dependent on whether anyone is sober enough by that point to drive!)
We were alone, except for a distant campervan and a camp fire. I'd absolutely love to do that one year.
We got battered by the wind and spray, and did our best to look scary (some better than others)
When we had enjoyed a bloody freezing bracing run around in the dark, we headed back to see the new year in, glasses of champagne in hand, a dance around the living room singing auld lang syne (or the 5 words of it that we know), and a toast to the new year ahead! And a rather sore head the next day......
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