Oh my goodness, I can't believe how long it has been since I updated this thing! The last post on it was for Christmas 2016 - I totally missed Christmas last year on it. The post before last was Christmas 2015. I get the feeling that I'm just really, really bad at the whole journaling thing.

That said... It's that time of year again!





I’d like to send cards out to all those who want them even though money is really tight this year. If you want a card from me, leave a comment on this post with the following details (even if you think I already have them):

Name (first and last and online handle)
Address
Post Code / Zip Code
Country

any other information

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If you don't wish to share your address but still want a card, leave your email here and I'll send out a virtual card.

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a very merry and safe Christmas!

( Pic heavy post under the cut )

I hope everyone had a fantastical Christmas! I'll probably do a proper update over the next few days when things calm down a bit here!

Enjoy the rest of the holidays!

I hope you all had a very merry and safe Christmas!!!

Things are hectic here and trying to find quiet time to update and all that jazz is hard. Especially since my bedroom has been taken over by James, Dawn and Amy and I'm sleeping on the sofa. I'm bound to forget something, but here goes...

Mum and I cooked for the family again this year. Ten people in total, but only nine eating food, since Amy is still being breastfed. Our oven blew up last week and none of our pay-later catalogues could get a new one out to us in time for Christmas due to the snow. Luckily, only the bottom ove had blown and not the top oven/grill so we had to cook our Christmas dinner in the top oven, two halogen ovens and a steamer, and my Nan leant us her Hostess trolley to keep everything warm in.

So Christmas Eve was the day for getting as much ready as possible. We went to Nan's for mince pies. Roger and Barbara were already there, then Dunc, Tish Josephine and Anna arrived, and then Jean and Ray turned up, followed by Patrick. Back at home the turkey had it's legs and wings chopped off so it would fit in the halogen oven and was covered in bacon, veg was prepared, pigs in blankets wrapped, stuffings made, breadcrumbs made. The table was set, glasses and cutlery washed and polished. The house was tidied. Cheese lables were made for the cheese board.

Dad went out to the pub and woke me up when he came over, by flopping down by the sofa I was sleeping on and cuddling. At least he was only in the happy drunk stage and not the nasty stage. He has varying stages of drunkness.

Christmas Day arrived. Santa has brought a mountain of presents - but they wouldn't be opened until night. Dragged myself up, and sorted the cats and rabbit out. Next I started by making my pâtés into heart shapes. I next sorted the cheese boards, after dinner chocolates and mints tray and crackers tray. I put the white sugar and brown sugar cubes into bowls for the coffee. Made my prawn salads and plated up the pâtés - complete with their santa butters and salad. Mum made sure the meats were cooked and cooked the veg and made sure the Christmas pudding was steamed properly. We sliced some fruit for some of the water jugs on the table.

Jumped in the shower and got myself ready before heading back to the kitchen.

Jean, Ray and Nan arrived about 1pm. We were supposed to start eating at 1:30pm, but James, Dawn, Dylan and Amy were late getting here. I took Willis out to the cattery when they arrived and they got the kids settled, and then it was time to start eating.

Mum, Dad, Jean and I had prawn cocktail. Nan, James, Dawn and Dylan had pâté and Ray had orange juice. Next we all had lemon sorbet apart from Nan, Jean and Ray. Then came the main course - pork, turkey and all the trimmings - carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, roast potatoes, roast parnips, sausage stuffing, sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets, apple sauce, bread sauce and two kinds of cranberry sauce. Mum and I had a washing up session next to give everyone a break. Next was pudding! Mum, Jean, Ray and I had Christmas pudding - they had brandy sauce, I didn't. Mum and Dawn had pavlova, Nan, James and Dad had profiteroles and Dylan had ice cream with chocolate biscuit stick things, so I made it into an ice cream bunny using them as ears and chocolate chips for eyes and a nose. Another break was followed by the cheese course and the coffee.

It was a really nice day, and the kids were really well behaved. Once Nan, Jean and Ray left we washed up and let Dylan open all his presents so he cold get them all open before bedtime - the first year he has actually managed to do it all in one session. Once Amy and Dylan had been settled into bed we tidied away the tables and opened our presents.

I'll try and list everything, I'll try not to miss anything...

From Mum & Dad: A Cricut personal cutting machine, A snuggly fleece lounger, two silk nighties, Doctor Who Winter Specials DVD (Water of Mars/End of Time boxset), Two Doctor Who novels - The Doctor Trap and Shining Darkness, Two eyeliners, Faraway perfume/body lotion/shower gel, Dragon Quest IX, Roald Dahl's Phizz Whizzing collection.

From James, Dawn, Dylan & Amy: An awesome nail kit with a whole bunch of colours, base coat, top coat, files and jewels.

From Nan: Body Shop Spirit of Moonflower body mist gift set.

From Jean & Ray: Slippers.

From Roger & Barbara: Next Cashmere Cosmetics gift set

From Patrick & Karen: Body Shop Festive Body Butter Trio - Merry Cranberry, Nutmeg and Vanilla, Black Velvet Apricot.

From Duncan, Tish, Josephine & Anna: A journal.

From Sandra: Red Door perfume and a Westie cross-stich.

From Julie at work: Scarf, gloves and I love... strawberries and milkshake body butter.

From Karen at work: Body scrub.

From Lady: Dalmation teddy.

From Santa: MUA eyeshadow, MUA eye liner, Glee lip balms, a photo frame, PG Tips Christmas Monkey, A candy cane, hot chocolate lip balm and a torch.

From the Fairy on top of the tree: A pink and black note book.

Today has been a quiet day - well, as quiet as it can be with a talkative two year old and a four month old in the house. Amy opened the rest of her presents - with a little bit of help from Dylan and James. I spent most of the day in the kitchen cooking food for our buffet tea - for which I totally over-catered... oops.

Heading to bed in a few minutes, since it'll be morning soon and a little boy wakes up and comes downstairs plenty early enough.

Tomorrow we're heading over to my Nan's for a buffer dinner there. So that'll be fun. Hopefully Roger and Barbara will be joining us.

I hope everyone had a very, merry Christmas! Sorry I've not been around much lately, I've been a pretty poor friend what with the hectic stuff around here and being incredibly ill on top of that. I still have a heap of fics to finish for people from Halloween - yes, I'm that bad!

Cooked Christmas Dinner with mum yesterday for everyone, it was nice, not as nce as last year, but I think that's maybe because I'm just so ill and really don't feel all that Christmas-y at all, in fact I've been pretty depressed all holiday and I don't know why. I love Christmas and this year just feels kinda... different.

My Nan had a funny turn at the dinner table and lost consciousness for a few minutes and was sick. She'd done too much lately and then the Christmas dinner was too much for her, so that kind of dampened the day, and we usually go over to her house for tea today, but Dad and I are ill, so we didn't get to go, so again, something else that's changed and I hate change!

I got some neat gifts. From Mum and Dad I got The World Ends With You for the DS, Kingdom Hearts: COM for the GBA, Devil May Cry for the PS2, A book of Trade Secrets, A Balthier Play Arts Figure, some dolls house stuff.

From my Nan I got a bath set.

From James, Dawn and Dylan I got a miniature desk Hetty Hoover.

From Sandra got dolls house stuff.

From Duncan, Tish and Joesphine I got a selection of kitchen herbs, spices and oils.

From Jean and Ray I got some slippers.

From Roger and Barbera I got a bath set.

From Jo I got some farm animal shaped soaps.

From Julie I got some body lotions and a make up bad.

From Gina I got a calendar of bookmark sized semi-naked men and a wallet card with a sweet verse on it.

From Ailsa I got some hand cream and shower gel.

From Santa I got a teddy and a diary.

And from Dad's table game I got a pink tool kit.

I think that's everything! But I love all my gifts!

I'll hopefully be online more once things get back to normal around here, so I hope to catch up with you all very soon! Love you all!! ♥

Well! I think I should post about my Christmas sometime now... where to start...

Well Friday morning we finished off the last of the Christmas shopping, then in the evening we went to the Village pantomime, which was quite funny. I didn't stay at the pub afterwards, didn't feel much like it!

Sunday, we went to my Nan's for Christmas Eve tea - beef cobs and nibbles! My uncle Roger and his partner Barbara came over and brought me a christmas present - despite being told not to buy me one back! My auntie Jean and uncle Ray were also there and they too bought me a present!!

James and Dawn arrived later Christmas Eve, they brought Willis with them and a huge bag of presents! They joined Mum and Dad at the pub but came back earlier than the 'rents. After everyone had gone to bed, I made sure Santa had put all the presents out, before going to bed on the sofa.

Christmas morning I got up at 7:30am, and laid the selection boxes and stockings on the sofas. I then went and made the smoked salmon nibbles and brought the bucks fizz and James'non-alcoholic blue champagne. Then came the long bit of waiting for everyone else to get up.

Once everyone was up and loaded with drinks and nibbles, we dived into the presents!
( presents )

After the presents, we got ready to go to the pub for Dinner with Nan, Jean and Ray. It was a nice 4 course meal, good company, good food.

In the evening we had family time, and then James, Dawn and I played Trivial Pursuit.

Boxing Day, we all went to Nan's again for a big family get together! Then played more games at night.

James and Dawn left Thursday to go back home. Today I went to the hospital >.< I hate the hospital. I've lost 8lb since my last check up, and I had to go have blood tests to check my tablets aren't affecting my kidneys or liver since they're still experimental.

About 6 hours in KH2 - I think it's helping me to mourn. I know Riyu is still there with all of us! My heart goes out to Yuki, Suki and Kham and all those who were close to him. God knows what they're going through. It's still pretty unreal to say the least. But as I've said before, and will probably say a million more times as I mourn - Riyu will never truly be gone because Sora = Riyu = Sora. I did a little sketch last night for him, but it's not very good, so I probably won't post it. Kham allowed me to use his banner of Riyu, which is incredibly kind! It's on my profile!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I hope Santa brough y'all what you wanted!! I got a new PS2 since my other one sorta died, a dancemat and game, an out of print board game of Tetra Master from Final Fantasy IX, Under Grand Hotel volume 3, Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere and a ton of little gifts!!

( ************ POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING **************** )

I can't wait until it gets scanlated!!