A family Christmas

That's Christmas done and dusted for another year.  This year Garry and I stayed overnight at Nicole and Jason's house in Rouse Hill on Christmas Eve. We spent the evening at a family cocktail function hosted by Garry's niece, Zoe, and her partner Ben. They've just bought a house together near South Windsor.

Zoe and Ben did a superb job hosting 14 rowdy family members. Their new home is very impressive —it's modern, airy and laid out efficiently with a small backyard. They've done incredibly well as first-home buyers.

Nicole and Jason, Garry's sister and brother-in-law, hosted Christmas Day. We four adults kicked off the day with a breakfast of ham and cheese croissants, washed down by refreshing Moet Mimosas. The family arrived shortly before noon for present unwrapping, followed by a traditional Christmas roast lunch mid-afternoon.  The kids then spent several hours frolicking in the pool as the temperature hit a high of 32C.

Garry and I finally departed Rouse Hill around 8:00pm. As expected, there were a few moments during the day when a family member shed a few tears in memory of Rhonda.

This afternoon Garry and I are off to spend Boxing Day with friends in the building next door. It's a Leftovers BBQ where we come together and polish off the last of our collective Christmas food.  Garry and I are keen to clear the fridge as we'll be heading North tomorrow for two weeks to explore the Northern Rivers region.