a nomad's christmas

What's that you hear? Deafening silence? Sorry about that...been a bit busy! You know how it is - getting married, having a mini-honeymoon, packing up a life, sorting through a life of where it is to be stored (note: all over the countryside?!) and somewhere in there shoving my face full of turkey, ham and pudding. Ah the joys...

We spent Christmas at home in Gippsland - our last hurrah before heading off into the sunset on our around Australia honeymoon adventure. Christmas Eve was spent at my Dad's new house having a pool party with all five of my nieces, my two sisters, my brother-in-law, my brother and my sister-in-law. Oysters and champagne were called for, as well as copious amounts of prawns, crayfish fresh from Flinders Island my Dad flew down to get a few days before and loads of watersliding antics. All followed by traditional Christmas Eve mass at our local parish where we all grew up, and my niece is now going to school.

 

Christmas morning at my Mum's was met with squeals of delight when Scarlett and Ava found Santa's beer had been half drunk (who choose the dodgy beer?!) and the carrots nibbled by the reindeer, leaving a big mess on Grandi's box hedge!

Cousins arrived from next door to more squeals. So much squealing with five little girls! Santa was generous, as was Mum/Grandi with the traditional Christmas lunch spread. Roast turkey, roast chicken, a leg of baked ham and a buffet roast turkey. Followed by plum pudding with the most brandy-infused sauce we've ever had - woooo!

 

In the afternoon we headed down to Mr M's family by the sea to spend our first Christmas in the new and improved 'Shirwell' - a home that has been in his family for generations and has just undergone a serious renovation and extension. Floors had just been sanded and there isn't any furniture in yet but we enjoyed a (somewhat soggy) Christmas dinner on the new deck.

We set up our camper (our new home!) next door at Mr M's mum's cousin's house (confused yet?!), the beautifully restored 'Charnwood' - quite possibly the oldest house in Inverloch. This is our happy place. Mr M's parents are building a new house just in front of 'Shirwell' which will be our new family home. All this will happen this year whilst we're gallavanting about the country, which makes Mr M a tad sad that he'll be missing out on the action. But we're so looking forward to returning and having so many more beautiful meals with beautiful people on the deck at 'Shirwell' and the new house. 

I know most of you are all busting to see wedding photos, hear about our movements, how we left Brindabella, where we are now, what our plans are...but that will have to wait for another day. Right now I just wanted to share some love from the past week :)

We're off to Mildura to ring in the new year with friends and waterski to our hearts content. Until then...

Images by Emma Steendam for Cinderella at Brindabella