Our December, like everyone else’s, was a busy one. The boys were off school, but Bruce was working at home so I went to work. The first of the month landed on the weekend so as we all know, it’s time to put up the tree.
Tree drama…
So we decided that we should just grab the old tree and put it up and cut our losses. So we put it up and turned the lights on, the middle section of lights didn’t work. (Crap) So, next plan, you can imagine the mood right about then. We were going to try and put the top section of the old tree onto the top section of the new tree. So we dragged the other tree box back and pulled the stem bits to see if they fit, then I hear. Honey, the top of the tree is all in one bit, there is no stem. OMG!!!! We fell about laughing, it was there all along, ready to go…you know there was some DER going on. It made us laugh and gave us a story to tell for the next week. Then we had to try and find a place for it, we just kept looking at each other, it was 7.5 ft high and 6ft wide, it felt like it took up half the room, that made us giggle, and Bruce’s chest was out, $15.00 baby!!! We finally settled for in the front corner, and had to bend down some of the branches and move the TV cabinet over so it would fit. Arh, our tree drama, so about 2 hours later the tree was up and ready for the 600 lights that we had bought. Yes, 600, there first box of 300 hundred wasn’t enough. (There is nothing done by half’s here, everything in this country is just BIG!!!)
We went off to Jamieson’s game (they won, of course), then went home had some lunch and over to Paula’s to help her and Steve move into her new house that she just bought. Yeay for her!! The boys put all the big stuff onto the truck and the girls loaded to cars. Then over the new house to unload before it got dark and we had to leave to go to Conner’s game. Conner’s team won a big one against what you could say is a not so nice coach who passes his not so nice habits onto his kids. So that was big for Conner, Colton and Hunter, who were on our team last season. Lovely family, will start spending more time with them hopefully in the future.
Went home, had a quick dinner, the boys put their PJ’s on and back to Paula’s for moving continued. Let’s just say, we got home at around midnight. It was a long day and we were buggered to put it mildly. We got most of the stuff over to the new house and that was the goal, so considering there was only the 4 of us, we did a bloody great job, especially the boys.
We did nothing the next morning then around lunchtime we sat back and let the boys put all the decorations on the tree and I grabbed out the house stuff, as well as some new stuff that I had found. My prize piece is now a white ceramic Santa for the fireplace, just gorgeous and a timber word ‘wish’ to sit up there with it. I was hoping to get a ‘believe’ (Kristin has one) but this was fine. I got to put out my reindeer candle table centerpiece that I got after Christmas last year, and some other stuff too. So add another hour or so and we were done, I rearranged the tree after the kids went to bed.
We were invited to the Rivera’s for dinner, their friends from Sydney son (Andrew) was over with a friend (Andrew) on a stop over for their overseas trip. We got to the Rivera’s at about 4.30pm and were the first one’s there. Carlos’ daughter Allyssa (17) was over from Nebraska for the weekend, so it was nice to see her again. The Andrew(s), arrived with Jeff (United attendant that stays with them as well) he met Bruce on his first flight down this year and bought him home from the airport for me. Kristie arrived home from London a little later and we had bbq for dinner and just chilled out chatting about their plans, etc, they are really nice guys, going on an adventure. Luckily the boys were off track, because it was a late night, as always when we go over there.
As always early December, Bruce and I celebrate another wedding anniversary, this year would be nine (9). It was a really non-eventful day to speak of, we had been out the week before with Paula and Steve so there was no urgency in having to do anything. There’s a sign of being together for a long time huh. Although we have decided that the 10th will be a big one, I will get my trip to New York.. it’s not Jan’s (Bruce’s school friend) trip to Paris, but it’ll do for me.
Bruce went out on the road later in the week, so I came home in the afternoon’s and spent time with the boys, catch up homework and just chilling out. The usual getting ready for Christmas and our Seattle trip stuff. Getting Jamieson to get some homework done was a job in itself, but we got there eventually. You can imagine!!!!
Thursday night I went over to the Rivera’s for a cuppa with Kristie. The Andrew’s were there, so it was nice to see them again. The kids decorated the tree, I helped them with the high bits, then a cuppa with Kristie amongst the chaos of the kids going off the bed and home again around 10.30pm.
The next night (Friday) the Lewis’s came over for dinner. Julian is Jamieson’s friend from basketball, they have played together the whole time we’ve been here and Bruce and Greg coach the team. We have connected with them a little more in the last 6 months or so, they are a great family and Ruth and I get on really well. So I worked and got home after work and started cooking. Ruth works, so by the time she gets home and changes etc, they arrived around 6.30. We had a really nice night, the kids all played running around etc, as boys do and we sat around chatting, a great night with some really good people.
Saturday morning Bruce and I were out of the house and at Darcy’s (co worker) place with some others to help her move out. It was a really easy move considering what we had down last weekend. She had nephews there and Andrea and Robert as well as her mum and auntie, so between us all we got all her stuff in the Pod (container storage) and were out of there by 11.00am. Of course the weekend was overtaken by basketball, Jamieson’s games are around lunchtime then we are back for Conner’s at around 5.30, so the day is split which is a pain but I can get some stuff done around the house and Christmas shopping too. The bummer about Conner’s games is that you really can’t have plans with anyone else because we don’t get out of there until around 7.00, the night is done for seeing people after that. Jamieson’s team won and Conner’s team had a loss, but boy did they play really well. The reffing is becoming increasingly frustrating for the adults at the moment. Conner’s games are full rules, but some of the refs (there is no reffing courses that you have to do here) have a clear comprehension of the rules. Put it this way, Bruce even gets to the point where he is saying something to them…..
They are a great little team who play their hearts out and have a chance to beat everyone, which they nearly did this game, but just fell short against a team we think will win all their games this season.
The next week was a little quieter, I was trying to wrap a few things up at work before the end of the year, (as was going to be off so I had until the week before Christmas to get it all done.) Our office sponsored a family for Christmas so there was presents and grocery shopping, delivery to the church for them, as well as my own stuff. The boys had their usual basketball training and Conner and Bruce also have school training twice a week on top of that, so that takes up a lot of the afternoons over the week. Winter is definitely here, we got our first frosts, and the bird bath is freezing over again.
Nothing overly out of the ordinary happening just trying to keep warm, get the kids to get their homework done, Bruce getting on the road when he can and having meetings. Between the two of us, the boys can be home for an hour or so then I come home from work. They are good and know the rules, they call me if they need anything and I check in on them too. I think Conner enjoys the responsibility.
Bruce started seeing the Chiropractor about his shoulder, so we now know it’s frozen shoulder, his treatment seems to be working and hoping he will be nearly 100% over the next couple of months. Which will be a relief for him, he’s not sleeping like he should as he can’t sleep on it.
Kristie came and picked us up one afternoon after her kids had finished school and we went over to a local ceramics place and made Christmas decorations. The kids had a ball as I did. There was a clan of us so we got the back room. We had 7 kids and 3 adults, the kids picked out 2 decorations each and had a fantastic time, then the owner came in and gave us another decoration for half price so they all got three each. Kristy and I ended up just doing one ball each, but everyone just had a really nice time together, the kids hanging out and the mum’s chatting and catching up. 3 hours later the kids were ready to go home, maybe because they had finished their things. Conner especially wanted to come back the next day, he just loved it. The creative side of him is definitely coming out at the moment, which as you can imagine Bruce just loves. Bruce came and picked us up and took us home around 7.00pm. It was definitely a memorable day.
The Friday we had our Christmas breakup lunch at a really nice place in Sacramento. We had a great lunch and all got a nice present from Paula as always. Money that has to be spent on us, then we headed off to the Mall, it was a really nice afternoon. We drove back home, got changed into something more comfortable and went out again to get a big chunk of her Christmas shopping done. Bruce took the boys out for some guy time for dinner at the Outback steakhouse, which I don’t like, so they could go. Paula and I stopped at Logan’s and some soup before heading out, and had a good chat, it hasn’t been just the two of us for a chat in a while so it was nice. We talked some Christmas, personal and some business, so we covered all the bases. We got home around 10.30, then off to bed for yet another big basketball Saturday.
Sunday was a quiet morning then Julian got dropped off for a play for the afternoon and I went out to finish off my Christmas shopping (I hoped). The boys went off to the park and Bruce worked and naturally watched football. We were off to the Lewis’ for an early dinner at 4.00pm. Ruth and Greg had pretty much done a Thanksgiving dinner, so we all sat down to Turkey and all the usuals; soooo yummy!!!! The boys played really well together and the adults sat around and chatted, it was a perfect relaxing evening, I’m sure the turkey had something to do with that. We jumped in the car and off home around 10.30, good thing the boys are still off track.
The next couple of weeks were wind up weeks, trying to get loose ends all tied up and see everyone we wanted to see before we head off for our Christmas trip. On Monday Paula and I went over to the house to finish moving her, finally. It was just a lot of junky bits but it needed to be done. On Tuesday night we went over to Paula’s for dinner and Christmas presents. It was a quick dinner and we were home by 8.30, Justin and Jeremy had school in the morning.
The next night I went over to the Rivera’s for a cuppa with Kristie, which was nice, Kristie bought me back some custard powder from London. So now I can make (show her) vanilla slice. The kids were in bed and she was finishing some Christmas cookies. She is definitely the crafty friend that everyone has. We sat down in the quiet and had a cup of Tetley tea (they bring it back from Australia) and we looked at the clock and it was nearly midnight, time to get going.
Kristie and Carlos were having a cross over issue so we were on standby to help with the kids on Friday night if Caroline (Kristie’s mum) needed us. Friday, I worked half a day and Justin and Jeremy came over for the afternoon to play. Paula and Steve went to San Fran for a function with his mother. So Andrea came and picked up the boys and took them for dinner and then stayed with them at Paula’s so they could sleeping their own beds. Caroline didn’t need us in the end either, so it turned into a quiet night for us. Outside the house anyway, I spent the night packing and tidying, basically getting ready for our big SEATTLE CHRISTMAS TRIP!! Do we sound excited!!!!
It’s time for me to go and I’ll be back with the next installment after our trip….
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