Time today
for a slow start as we opened the last window on our advent calendar from
Maren, wrapped presents for our orphan’s Christmas in Clapham and thought about
Christmas in NZ for our loved ones...
Eventually
we got sorted and headed to Clare’s. Time for shopping list making and scheming
before Lara arrived – excitement!! Off to the supermarket next for a shop that
turned EPIC. Seriously a whole lot more stuff in the trolley than originally
envisioned – Clare and Lara were determined that each person would have the
‘essentials’ of Christmas the way they usually spend it with whānau!
Finally we got out of there and lugged our purchases back to Clare’s.
Next to find
room in the fridge and freezer for everything, a definite challenge which Clare
conquered with ease. We found some Christmas music, stories of travels were
shared, Christmas cards opened and nibbles consumed before Roni decided it was
time to make Guiness Chocolate Cake (at Bray’s request). The cupcake and
mini-muffin versions of this mixture worked a treat but Roni didn’t let the
cake sit for long enough so when trying to remove it from the cake tin
everything went horribly wrong! It went to pieces and became what is known as
the ‘Christmas Mound’ – once covered in cream cheese icing with a candy cane on
top it looked festive indeed. Clare helped ice the cupcakes and then it Roni
cleaned up the baking mess/dishes before it was time to brew up a hug in a mug
(mulled cider) for everyone.
An easy
dinner of pizza and extra-strength garlic bread was the next step after which
Bray did dishes before a game of Citadels.
Lara was inducted into the joys of the game while Clare chose to watch instead
before opening a present early – naughty!
More dishes
had somehow been created through nibbling and drinking so Lara did the next
load of dishes before the NZ Christmas Day communications began. Skype with
Roni’s Grandma and Mum, phone calls to numerous Bransfield cousins and Lara’s
parents called and she got to talk to everyone in their house!
Roni and Lara
had gone exploring to find out times for carols in the vicinity and take a
circuitous route home to explore more of Clapham in the dark. So, at about
11.20pm Bray, Lara and Roni toddled off to St Mary’s for carols and midnight
mass. The place was PACKED! Standing room only if you were late and we sung
some carols with gusto before mass and sharing Christmas peace with the peeps
around us. Mass went long and we got
home around 1.30 definitely ready for some sleep. It definitely now felt like
Christmas!
