Christmas Run Down - No.5

Well we made it to the final Christmas run down, so without further ado:

On the Eleventh day of Christmas something I did do:

Carols by candlelight

A true Australian Christmas tradition, Christmas wouldn't be the same without it.  Sure sometimes its corny, but its just such a nice thing to do on Christmas eve, sitting around with your mates and watching the carols.  I was a little disappointed that this years carols didn't feature Dennis Walter singing the Holy City...it just doesn't quite feel like Christmas without it, but I guess I will just have to get over it, because it didn't happen.  What did redeem the carols in a big way though was Silvie Paladino singing Your Grace Still Amazes Me... incredible.  So while I just watched it from the comfort of Kitty's lounge, I did get to go to the rehearsal the night before...which was super fun... and also with kitty, oh and Annie too.  

On the Twelfth day of Christmas something I did do:

Celebrate Jesus' Birthday

Well i guess this is the whole point of Christmas, celebrating Jesus' birth, the celebrations started at 8am when Jake and I went to see what Santa brought and then we headed off to church were I meet Buzz Lightyear...its true.  After church we headed out to do the family thing, Lunch at Gran and Pa's and then Dinner with Meg and Wayne.  I really love Christmas Day, when else do you get to just spend the day hanging out with your family and eat?  Anyway, I am off to enjoy the rest of my night...

Merry Christmas everyone...I will leave you with the song...from the top.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas something I did do:

Celebrate Jesus' Birthday

Carols by Candlelight

Almost missed my solo
Nativity the Musical
Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Read more...

Christmas Run Down - No. 4

On the Tenth day of Christmas something I did do:

Almost missed my solo...

Yep thats right, I almost missed my solo with the songsters this morning.  You wouldn't have thought it was possible but it happened.  This morning I was out, taking advantage of the fact that I didn't need to be at church for the first time in a long time when I got a text from the songster leader..."Are you coming to church to sing?" I was a little taken back by the message as I knew I was doing a solo with the songsters but I thought that I was singing at the 6pm carols service, not the 11am...so I wrote back exactly that...only to get the response... "no the 11, not the 6".  So with that I jumped in the car and raced to church.  Walked in sang a congregational song, then got up and performed my solo with the songsters, no army uniform, no salvo t-shirt, in fact not even dressed that nice, just in some casual sunday clothes complete with my new favourite shoes.  But I sang the song and then I left, ready to return for the carols service tonight...which it turns out I don't have to sing in.  Oops.

Nativity the Musical
Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Read more...

Christmas Run Down - No.3

Ok so you know the drill, no need for introductions, lets just sing...

On the Seventh day of Christmas something I did do:
Eat lots if food

It's not really surprising, I mean I love food at the best of times and at Christmas it's in your face all the time! However this Christmas has been full on food wise, especially over the last couple of days. In the space of two days I attended three end of year breakups all of which involved food. I had Indian with me cell ladies, breakfast with my dietitian friends and afternoon tea with work, it was full on and delicious. However, as if all the parties weren't enough, they also included bringing food. I know a little while ago I wrote a blog about the pressure I felt when taking food because when you are a dietitian people expect you to be able to cook, which isn't always true, in fact in my case, it couldn't be further from the truth. However I think this Christmas I have excelled. Seriously check this out... For our dietetics breakup our Christmas gift rule was, the gift had to be home made, and because I leave everything until the last minute, mine was edible, coz let's face it... It shouldn't take that long to cook something, but homemade good homemade craft…way too long. So I decided that I would make truffles and check them out... The look awesome even if I say so myself! Now because I don't do things in halves, one amazing success for the day wasn't enough, no I kept going. That afternoon, at my work CRC breakup, I introduced my CRC friends in Castlemaine to the heaven that is toblerone dip. I must admit though I was a little shocked that they had never heard of it before, maybe it's a salvo thing, but it, like the truffles, were a hit!

Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Eighth day of Chirstmas something I did do:
Shopping centre Carols

Yep you read that right, on my one ADO before Christmas I caroled. It probably didn’t help that Dave was in charge of caroling this year so I didn’t get much choice, but it was just like old times! I was caroling with Pheebs at forest hill this morning, something that we haven’t done for a number of years, but after a few rough numbers we were in out element. Nothing feels more Chirstmasy then racing to say the number of the next carol, or smiling to the little old ladies that stand and watch you play, or even wish a little kid a merry Christmas with a bad rendition of jingle bells (no.100). I can’t say I would rush back and do day after day like Dave and Benny did but it was fun while it lasted. Oh and just between you and me, I think Dave was a little annoyed that us girls brought in so much money…what can I say Davo…they love us!

Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Ninth day of Christmas something I did do:
Nativity the musical:

Once again, this is something that I blogged about a little while ago, but that’s okay, because that blog was all about the fact that I was going to be in a musical, and now its done! Tonight was sooooooo much fun, an experience I will never forget. I was so nervous before hand, but once I was out there under the lights and in costume, everything else seemed to fade away and I just did it. It was so good.

Everyone did an amazing job, especially Benny, my joe, he is one very funny man! I really hope this isn’t the last musical I get to do, because, I know I have said this three times already in one paragraph, but it was just so much fun. Oh and just to make it even more special, two of my good mates from Bendigo, Jana and Sam came all the way down to Melbourne, just to see it. I was sp surprised to see them there, but it meant a lot to me that they came! So thanks to everyone that came, and a massive thanks to Renee for giving me this opportunity…it was the best.

Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

FHEEEEW…well we are almost there…Just 3 days to go!

To be continued…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Read more...

Christmas Run Down - No. 2

So it must be time for another Christmas run down... but first, just to clarify for Dave's sake...you will find the lyrics fit better to the tradition tune not because it is actually any different but rather because it is slower... So just in case you missed the first one we will sing it from the beginning...

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Forth day of Christmas something I did see:

Come Celebrate:

This has become a Christmas tradition...although this year it came with a very very very nasty surprise.  For 5 and a half years now...well actually maybe not quite that long...i guess depending on...well actually just keep reading.... for the last few years at very least I had what I thought was a fantastic memory of Blackburn carols...come celebrate.  It was a memory of one of the first few times I had met Davo.  He was playing in the Box Hill Big Band and they were playing at the carols.  After the evening, I plucked up lots and lots of courage and went to see Dave.  He was wearing his Salvo T-shirt, Jeans and those crazy blue shoes.  Anyway, after a brief chat with Beas and Mim tonight, it turns out this memory is....WRONG.  It never happened.  The Big Band has never done come celebrate so how could Dave have played in it? Well this little moment of truth has rocked my world.  How could I have a wrong memory??? Seriously how does that even happen? Well let me tell you...it appears that I have confused two memories...Dave playing in a different band at carols without the blue shoes or jeans and another event at Blackburn sound shell where Dave was playing in the big band...it does kind of make sense but it does make me wonder how much more I have made up! 

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Fifth day of Christmas something I did see:

More Christmas Lights:

These weren't just any lights though, they are crazy christmas lights...like intense crazy.  They are in Narracan Street in my old hood of vermont south and well the are just full on...I can't really explain it so just have a look at the photo...

Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Sixth day of Christmas something I did use:

Conversation Cards:

 

To be honest, conversation cards are not things that I have had much time for in the past.  My opinion was why can't you just think of your own stuff to talk about, I don't think having the questions prescripted was actually going to make things less awkward, in fact I was convinced it would probably make things more awkward.  Anyway, that was until two days ago when Sally from work showed me some that she had got as a Kris Kringle present.  After actually looking at them I changed my mind, I decided they were great and actually went and got some to give as a Kris Kringle present of my own, and do you know what??? They were a hit.  We used them tonight at my Bendigo Cell group break up and it was a lot of fun...There is a freedom with conversation cards, because you aren't answering a nosy question from a friend, but just a card, you can say it like it is and its good!  Never again will I poo poo conversation cards.

More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

Well there you go, 6 days down, 6 to go....Hope you are enjoying the sing-a-long as much as me!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Read more...

Christmas Run Down - No. 1

Not surprisingly I am already behind on my blogs for December, so in an attempt to keep the world informed, but not bored, I have decided to do some Christmas run downs. This means that when I forget to blog at the time, instead of giving you the primary school holiday diary in back dated blog after back dated blog, I am going to sum it all up in one blog for a few…just to keep things moving. And I just decided right then, that I am only going to talk about 12 Christmas things…kind of like my very own 12 days of Christmas…maybe I will even try and make it fit the song???

Here goes …. (just sing it, it works trust me)

On the first day of Christmas something I did see…
Was a pageant with kids from kids church:

So this Sunday just gone was the kids church pageant, my last official duty as Kids Church leader. I managed to get through the whole morning without tears…well almost, I did cry a little when I said goodbye to Dusty, Jess and Brad, but they were flying out to the US the next day and I wasn’t going to see them for 6 weeks. The morning went almost smoothly, but it was a lot of fun. Nicely done kids.

On the Second day of Christmas something I did see…
(you have to sing real fast…) Bendigo’s Christmas Lights:

After a lovely dinner at Clogs, Dave, Jana, Sam and I went driving all around Bendigo to see the Christmas lights…and I must say I tip my hat to you Bendigo, job well done! As the trip wasn’t supper planned, we were driving blind…perhaps next year we will have to get the lights map from home hardware which tells you were to go, but it didn’t matter because it seemed that Jana had a 6th sense for Christmas lights, so we weren’t disappointed. Although, being little miss Christmas spirit I like to do lights with blaring Christmas tunes, but I was restricted, by Sam, to playing my favourite one and nothing else…I think Dave was a bit happy Sam put his foot down, my Christmas music can be overwhelming.

And a pageant with kids from kids church.

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:
Sing with my Pa:

This is something that is becoming a Christmas tradition…well at least I hope it is anyway, its only its second year, but that’s better than one right? Anyway, tonight I was in Melbourne, doing a Christmas carol service for the good people at Hayville, with Pa, Heather (Pa’s singing /gigging friend) and Dave. The night is just a simple night with carols, but what I like the most about it is the fact that I get to sing with Pa. Pa has always sung, and I have always sung, but it was only a couple of years ago that I think we performed together, and I love it. There is just something about it, I guess you would say it’s special. Anyway, the point is I love singing with him…and I hope that there are many more years of singing together to come.

Bendigo’s Christmas lights
And a pageant with kids from kids church.

To be continued…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Read more...

let the count down begin

So today is the 1st of December...so all thats left to say is let the count down begin...bring on the lights, the carols, the decorations, the food...all of it!  Seriously is there a better time of year than Christmas...except for maybe my birthday, I can't think of any...actually you know what?  Christmas is better than my birthday! 


I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Another Goodbye

It feels like only a few days ago that I was saying that I didn't like change, well today I made way for another change, today was the kids church breakup party.  I knew that this was coming for a long time, but just like my room, it didn't make it any easier. 

I know that giving up kids church was the right thing to do for next year, because if I couldn't give it my all then I didn't want to give it anything, because it wouldn't seem enough, although now that I am faced with the reality of my decision it seems a lot harder.  I know that I will still see the kids, but I also know it won't be the same.  Working with the kids, and being part of their lives has been such a privileged one I certainly haven't taken for granted.

Anyway, its been a lot of fun this year, sure its been tough at times, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world, and today was a fantastic way to celebrate it all.  Oh and just to top it off I manages to get Dave to dress up like Santa...who would have thought.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Christmas is Coming

Well its officially Christmas time at my place because the tree is now up.

It was a little strange putting the tree up this year, because this is the first year I have had a tree of my own, in my own house.  In some ways its kinda exciting, this will be Dex and I's first Christmas out of home. It is weird not coming home to mum's special tree all colour coordinated, or the pretty fibre optic tree by the door, or even the 'old tree' with all the decorations from my childhood.  I supposed though, this is just another step in the journey that is growing up.  I am super glad though that I can now start playing my christmas music again and I can start present shopping and that I can start doing my bit to spread Christmas cheer...

So all you grinches out there....watch your back  

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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