Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 was really fun because it was Joshua's first real Christmas.

We set up the Christmas tree a few weeks before Christmas, and Joshua was fascinated by the whole process! We ended up putting the tree up on a table so that it was out of his reach...





Then came Christmas morning. The total wonder at seeing so many interesting presents!

Some of Joshua's gifts (yes, we did spoil him a bit...) - a quiet book for church, two trucks (that are still his absolute favourites!), a ball (as if he needed another one - but he just loves any that he can get) and then his favourite was a motor bike. He was very proud of it, and felt like a real big boy!











He also really enjoyed riding all over the paper...

One of the things I did for Andrew was develop a spool of photos that he had from his mission (ending in 1993) that he had never developed. I was very pleased with his reaction ;o) I think it was really nice for him to go down memory lane a bit and remember the last part of his mission, and also some photos from when he first came back home.


Then it was over to my parents - and Joshua had to take his new bike!



This Winnie the Pooh was actually given to Cindy, but Josh thought that he should have a turn with it ;o)

And Shawn was given a book with photos of Cape Town, just to make sure he remembers that South Africa is where he should be, and specifically Cape Town ;o)

Andrew was buying for my mom, and she had asked for a Pride and Prejudice DVD. But Andrew wrapped up a cricket computer game that he had and made sure that she opened that one first... Until he allowed her to find the real one ;o)


Then we had Christmas dinner outside - and it was really nice to have everyone sitting together under the tree. Very pleasant!



Then we went over to Fish Hoek to be with Andrew's family for opening presents and another Christmas dinner (this is the last year that we'll do both families for Christmas dinner - from 2010 we're going to work things differently)

Before we got to presents there was the normal reading of "The Grynch" and then the girls also did a little thing where they sang "Picture a Christmas" and put up a nativity scene that they had made. Then Grandpa gets dressed up as Father Christmas and all the gifts get opened up.


A couple of Joshua's favourite gifts...


So that was Christmas. A really special one, like I said - but then being with family always makes for a good Christmas!