Christmas in a blink...

dec 23 2012:
So apparently there are only two sleeps before the big jolly man that we know as Father Christmas pays a visit and leaves all the good boys and girls some magical gifts under the tree, in their stockings and Christmas sacks. How did that happen? Who said that it could be Christmas already?! I'm not sure that I approve!

Just like there is no stopping Christmas and time it seems there is no stopping the craziness that surrounds the occassion. People hurrying around in an attempt to select the most perfect gifts for that special someone or that random KK that you had to do. Trying your very hardest to select the most perfect gift. It tends to be a tricky business and eventually you begin to walk the fine line of when you feel it's ok to just throw in the towel and buy that person a voucher because you cringe at the thought of giving them something they won't like or just simply won't use!

I pretty much went and smashed out all my shopping in one session. I was pretty pleased with myself actually! Was good to get it out of the way... only four days to spare. It sure was crazy enough at the shops already though! It's funny how we manage this. It happens every year. I talk to some people who have pretty much had there shopping sorted from early November because they just can't stand the hustle and bustle of the not-so-organised of us. I'm not quite sure how they manage it but I also don't see how it could be as fun as doing it all at the last minute... Anyway. I'm done. It's done. I'm ready for Christmas now.

dec 28 2012:
It's over! It's come and gone all over again! It always seemed so depressing as a child. This one day that you spent over three hundred days waiting for it to come around just disappears in the blink of an eye and then you were back to waiting for it all over again! Now I can see why as much as I'm sure my parents enjoy Christmas there is an amount of dread as it rolls around. Being on a dairy farm means that no matter what the season, occasion or public holiday that pops up there is always work to be done and never a day can be just simply taken off. The cows still have to be milked on Christmas and at the moment that is three times a day!

So while a lot of people get the day off to spend with their families it's always another day at work for the dairy farmers (and other kinds of farmers along with other professions that can't just shut down shop such as hospitals, police and many others I'm sure). I never really got this when I was younger and couldn't quite understand why Mum was always so stressed on the day as we tried to get milking out of the way along with other jobs Dad had to be doing or something always seemed to break down or go wrong. But I get it now. And this year instead of us rushing around all day to make it to another location for festivities with family we took some stress out of the day and just celebrated with ourselves. Though it was a bit sad not to be going and odd to break a tradition, I don't remember ever not going to this family function, we do it every single year. But with our large family it makes for a lot of fun with just ourselves! Many presents were unwrapped with lots of gasps of excitement. The best reactions for the day were probably my nine-year-old sisters excitement when she pulled a Furby from her Santa sack along with the almost excitement induced heart-attack that my seven-year-old brother almost had when The Amazing Spider-Man Blu-Ray was unwrapped.

All in all a grand day was had by all as we stuffed our faces with many delicious treats and far too much food I'm sure and enjoyed the festivities of the day along with getting through the milkings and such things.

Family Snap!

Hope your day was as lovely as ours was!