Hello 2019, you sprang up on us  out of nowhere.  I didn't even have time to think about the end of the old year, I was too busy with little people and family, travel and adventures, wild weather and storms.  I'm hoping for some quiet time to get my house in order, literally.

I spent Christmas Day with the family in Pirie, which was crowded and fun, with a traditional hot midday meal.  That's not what our side of the family does for Christmas, but Liz and her 2 sisters were hankering for their childhood traditions, so we had roast pork, roast turkey, roast ham, with all the trimmings, plus plum pudding.  It was very nice, but such a lot of work on a really hot day, catering for 8 adults and 5 children.  We all agreed that if we won Lotto we'd have a white Christmas in Canada with the biggest roast dinner ever! And kitchen staff to do all the work....

I drove down to Shonny's place on Boxing Day, which is actually a really nice day to travel, as everyone else is sitting at home with a food hangover instead of being on the roads. Shonny and Co, spent Christmas at Hayden's family home, and arrived home after I did, and then we had another round of presents and play and a meal of all our favourite things.  Hayden's Christmas Thing is a huge plate full of leg ham, with 2 or 3 sliced tomatoes.  Nothing else, no salad or bread or condiments.  He had to text a picture of his plate to his grandfather, who demanded that each Christmas and started the tradition for Hayden. Family history is all so different.

The next two days were very idle, just playing with the kids and making sure no-one in the house was hungry for even a moment.  And then we were off on an adventure, back to Pirie with the camper trailer for four days, ready to see in the New Year.

It amazes me that such spacious living quarters are contained within this trailer, and that it only takes two hours to transform it. 

The kitchen is at the front, two bedrooms behind that.

Shonny and Hayden worked as a team putting it up, and I played with Isla and Thomas and kept them safely out of the way. As soon as it was all done the kettle went on for coffee, it was all very civilised.

The kitchen area is amazing, the sink and stove swing out from the trailer, and it's ready to go. 

We stayed at a caravan park on the beach front, at a powered site; we had fans and lights, and a camping fridge, so we weren't roughing it entirely, but I think I'm too old to do without some comforts.  The fans were essential, as the temperature was in the high 30's every day and the tent got extremely hot without any airflow.

The first night a huge storm broke overhead, the loudest thunder I've ever heard, louder even than a tropical storm. The lightning was constant, the whole park lit up with pale purple and gold light and the sky an electrical firestorm.  Very beautiful, but frightening for the kids, and rain was pelting down.  The storm trundled off over the hills eventually, grumbling like a bad-tempered herd of cattle, and we finally got to sleep.

We spent the next two days relaxing, taking the kids to the pool and the beach. It's lovely to have no plans, no agenda, no place that you have to be by a certain time. The only plan was to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks on the beach with Mereth's family, and that's what we did.

 

It was sooo noisy, but Isla loved it.  Thomas slept through everything, didn't hear a thing.

It was a lovely holiday break, lots of family time and the kids enjoyed all the adventures.

New Year's Day saw us packing up the camper early, and they set off for home while I was off back to my home.  The temperature soared into the realms of the ridiculous, 44°C is too hot in anyone's language; 111°F is insane. It's finally cooled down, so I might be able to get into the sewing room and get something achieved, after a lengthy break. It's time to take stock of 2018, and have a think about where 2019 is likely to take us.  More quilts, more fabric, more family, more fun.  Onward!!