A rather belated Christmas Day post!

(And you’re probably all ‘SRSLY? Do you even get the concept of blogging in a timely, relevant fashion?‘)

(May I remind you that this time last year I’d been AWOL for 3 months? …I am actually quite impressed with myself.)

(If you like, just imagine this all happened last Sunday. It could have; it was yet another gorgeous, 30C summer morning in Queensland…)

25 December 2014 was our first at home for a couple of years, and was the quintessential Christmas Day downunder.

Hot sun blazing out of a blue sky, clean squeaky sand underfoot, BBQ aromas wafting over the cool turquoise water…

… the happy screams of our kids as they sandwiched each other between their boogieboards,  sprinted through the shallows flinging sand, and popped each other in the back of the head with supersoakers…

… slightly sandy fruit salad and the tang of salt water.

The glorious senses of summer!

We’ve been living on the Gold Coast for four years this July, and this was only our first Christmas morning at the beach! And only our first visit to Tallebudgera Creek Beach too – we’re spoilt for choice with beaches on the GC.

Since Stu offered to got railroaded into entertaining the older kids, the rest of us sat back on the beach relaxing and enjoying the spectacle of our children flying through the air.

None of us had any idea how aerodynamic a 5 year old could be… 

… least of all Stu…

Miss P soared an impressive parabolic arc then hit the water in a spectacular face plant. She popped up smiling though, (*PHEW* wheee wasn’t that fun???) and for the next half hour Stu had our little people lining up to be tossed.

Roars preferred to be dragged at high speed through the shallows by Daddy. He probably figured he’d get less wet.

Finn on the other hand relished the air time, doing cannonballs and showing off when he spotted my camera.

That was just too good. Here it is again!

Once their human slingshot was sufficiently exhausted, the kids reluctantly moved on. We spent a couple more blissful hours in the sun, making memories of an awesome day. I’m so thankful to have this extended family of good friends – I’m especially loving watching all the kids grow up together because we were lucky enough to have had that too, when we were kids. (If you’re reading, you know who you are!)

(A typical argument, overheard at another get-together;)

(Names have been changed to …something more descriptive.)

Ms Tapdance Diva: (frustrated with the monster truck track): Stupid technology! Why did they even invent this dumb thing?!

Mr Captain Obvious (fed up, stirring her): Why did they even make you be born?!

Ms Tapdance Diva (snorts angrily): Choh! It’s not my fault; blame Mum.

So, Phase One of Aussie Christmas Day complete, what next?

…

If you’re up in the icy north, I hope you’ve found a nice cosy little nest somewhere, and that pictures of a sunny beach have warmed you up a bit. If you’re down in the steamy south, enjoy these long summer days when and while you can, because we’ll be freezing our nuts off again before we know it.

– Michelle

P.S. Everyone south east watch out for Cyclone Marcia (MARCIA MARCIA MARCIA!!!) just in time to ruin the weekend. 200-500mm rain predicted, flash flooding, damaging winds, gusts up to 125 km/hr, high tides, beach erosion, possible tornadoes. The usual. 

… Aaah, summer?