Christmas Day 2012

My siblings and I managed to organise things so that my Adelaide brother and his family arrived at our traditional Christmas day gathering as a complete surprise for my parents (which came as no small relief to me, as I had been rather fearful about being the one to let it slip!). The look on my Mum’s face as I walked into the room with my youngest niece — who, as far as Mum was concerned, was supposed to be somewhere between Adelaide and Townsville (i.e., miles away and on the mainland) — was priceless.

Needless to say, a good day was had by all, as the following photos show. (Please note that “Left”/”Right” could mean “Upper”/”Lower” depending on how wide your screen is!)

Left: Some of the extended family gathered in my mother’s sister’s loungeroom as the gifts were being distributed.

Right: My Hobart brother talks, via Skype, to the sister who couldn’t make it today since she is currently peripatetic, and having a white Christmas in Sweden (it was 1:30am there, although this doesn’t explain the jaundiced screen).

Left: A few light showers passed but then cleared enough for us to have lunch and games outside beneath the mountain.

Right: Cousins — two of my Hobart nieces with the Grandma-surprising Adelaide niece.

Left: Guess what these two received for Christmas!

Right: The triplets looking for my Aunt’s goats and chickens.

My Adelaide nephews participated in the backyard cricket match.

Left: My Adelaide brother photographing me photographing him …

Right: Not the best photo of my parents, as they tuck into the Christmas pudding (watching out for sixpences, and thrippences, and tiny ceramic nativity pieces), but it was fun to pull off the big surprise, and I think they were delighted.