Friday Focus 30/12/16 – Enjoying Christmas with my family

I’ve taken a step back from the blog over the last week and focused on enjoying Christmas with my family.  The girls are now both at a lovely age – that wonderful time of childhood when Christmas is just full of magic and everything is exciting. It has been such a joy to watch – yes, even when it involved being woken at 4.40am on Christmas morning! On the plus side though, both girls did come and snuggle up with us after opening their stockings and we all fell asleep until 7.15am which was a much more respectable time for the festivities to begin!

Christmas - this week's word of the week

We spent Christmas Day with hubby’s parents and then headed to “the moon” (which is what the girls call Premier Inn!) to stay near my family for a couple of nights and catch up with them too.  It was lovely to catch up with everyone but nice too to have a lazy day at home when we got back – just sitting around, building Lego models and playing games. I could get used to this – what a shame the Twixmas bubble won’t last too much longer though!

Jessica and Sophie in their Christmas dresses standing in front of the Advent candles at church

Things I have loved over the festive period:

  • ​Going to our friends’ Christmas party.
  • Seeing how much fun the girls had on our day out at Legoland.
  • Jessica coming home with her bronze reading certificate (for reading 25 books) on the last day of term.
  • Having Jessica home all day once school broke up for the holidays.
  • A visit from my friend Katy (or “Mummy-God Katy” as Sophie called her).

Jessica with "Mummy-God" Katy

  • Introducing Jessica and Sophie to Mouse Trap.
  • Watching the girls open their presents.

Sophie showing off the pair of glasses she found in her Christmas stocking

  • Hubby’s reaction to the present I made for him (a book sharing 96 things I love about him – each one illustrated with a little doodle).
  • Watching Jessica and Sophie riding their new scooters up and down the path outside Nanny’s house.

Jessica and Sophie riding their new scooters outside Nanny's house

  • Doing a Christmassy family trail at Hinton Ampner.
  • Treating myself to some new clothes.
  • Spending time with my family and getting to meet my newest great-nephew.

My mum having a cuddle with her newest great-grandson

  • Coming downstairs after putting the girls to bed to find a message from hubby on my new light box.

"Love you honey" - a message from hubby on my new lightbox

 

The Reading Residence

18 thoughts on “Friday Focus 30/12/16 – Enjoying Christmas with my family

  1. Aw lovely things for you and hubby to do for each other! Ive taken a week away from blogging too (social media not much) and its been most welcome! See you in 2017 and look forward to reading more of your blog Louise ☺

    1. Thank you Carol – glad you enjoyed your blogging break too and looking forward to reading your blog in 2017 too! 🙂

  2. Sounds like you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas – I want to stay in the bubble, too! What a lovely idea for a gift for your husband, he must have been so touched. And then your lightbox message is gorgeous. Glad it’s been a fun one for you x Thanks for sharing with #WotW

    1. Thanks Jocelyn – it’s a shame that bubble can’t last a little longer, isn’t it?

    1. Thank you Stephanie – it was a lovely Christmas. Wishing you all the best for 2017 too 🙂

  3. Your Christmas sounds wonderful although I’m not sure about the 4.40am wake up ! my two little ones haven’t caught on to the early Christmas get up yet. What a lovely thoughtful gift you gave your husband. Happy New you to you all may 2017 bring you lots more happy memories xx #WotW

    1. Thank you Angela – wishing you a happy new year too and hope 2017 will be a good year for you 🙂

  4. Ah it sounds so lovely ad great you got to see both families too, I cant believe the girls got up so early Joe was the first to wake at 9.10 and Chris had the fire lit and breakfast all ready as he is an early riser, we had to drag Jack out of bed. They have never got up early Christmas the lazy pair. I too have stepped away from my blog for a week and had a lovely rest and concentrated on our little family its been wonderful. I love that first photo of the girls Louise they look so cheeky. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year xxx

    1. Thanks Sarah – a lie in until 9.10 sounds blissful! Glad you enjoyed having a blogging break too and hope you also have a wonderful new year 🙂

    1. Thank you Kim, it was a lovely Christmas. All the best to you and your family for 2017 x

  5. Love this post! I’ve also taken a bit of a step back from blogging over Christmas – and I’ve loved the time with my girls. I have to say I did chuckle at your “96 things I love about him” book – could you just not quite find 100 things you loved??? Glad you’ve had an amazing Christmas.
    Nat.x

    1. Lol, the 96 things was due to the number of pages in the book! I’m sure I could have found four more things if there had been 100 pages available. Glad you enjoyed having a blogging break over Christmas and spending time with your lovely girls x

  6. What a lovely week. So full of love and fun. It is such an exciting time for the little ones. Glad you explained the significance of 96. I was thinking that it was something about 1996 or 3 times 32 or something. A beautiful idea. I like the idea of calling the week just passed a bubble. Very apt. Shame New Year pops it. Hope you all have a wonderful 2017. #wotw

    1. Thank you Cheryl – no significance to 96 other than the number of pages! New Year definitely popped the Twixmas bubble – it’s a shame it doesn’t last a bit longer. Happy new year and hope 2017 will be a good year for you 🙂

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