Christmas past and present 2000-2025

Christmas as a blended family from 2000 didn't always happen on December the 25th with the 3 youngest boys often spending the actual day with their other family and Peter and I with the eldest two and the odd occasion making plans last minute where we found ourselves with a couple of hours on our own and we'd visit my gran or turn up at friends to join in with their Christmas dinner 'just in case you find ourselves free'

Photos prior to 2004 need scanning and aren't handy at the moment. 

But Christmas always happened.

2004 Snowing on Christmas Day in Malvern

2005 Christmas with the kids at my mum and dads.

2006 

2007 We tried to make a tradition of the Pantomime, but it only happened the once. We took our granddaughter this year (2025) It took another 18 years.

2008

2009

2010 Our first displaced Christmas. The year we left the UK. Christmas this year was spent saying goodbye to all the family and the day and night spent in a hotel in Reading where child 3 was working.

Christmas 2010 - 2020 was hit and miss with us living abroad, kids leaving home and covid. Gifts and cards were left in the UK in September/October. The kids and mum would bring gifts back with them and friends would brave them postal system Video calls were banned in the UAE, so contact was via photos and messaging.

South Africa

Santa shoebox Christmas that carried on from 2011-2019.

2011 Christmas in the sun was always strange.

2012 Airport goodbyes as the boys fly to the UK for Christmas.

2013 Waiting at the airport to collect the boys as they return home for Christmas.

2014 We left South Africa and arrived in Dubai, spending Christmas in a hotel.

We packed a few decorations and brought our gifts with us.

Nothing beats Dubai's Christmas decorations.

Christmas themed brunches.

2015 In the absence of the kids, fun with Bob and Pushkins.

2016 Home for Christmas

2017

2018

2019

2020 After managing to get back into Dubai for Christmas, Saudi closed their borders and we still didn't get to spend Christmas together. I got the better deal though.

Christmas Eve on the beach

Video calls from Saudi to Dubai.

Snowmen on the beach

I decorated my hotel room.

Peter home in time for the New Year.

2021 Back in the UK.

First Christmas as a family now with grandchildren.

2022

2023 another Christmas with our granddaughter.

Our last Christmas with Stephanie who passed away in 2024.

2024 An early family Christmas with our two grandchildren.

Christmas in Las Vegas.

Christmas 2025 spent in the UK. We've had 2 new grandchildren in 2025. There was a visit early December from child 4 and his family and we're spending Christmas Day with child 2 and his family.

And 18 years later, we finally got back to the Panto.

Week 51 One Daily Positive and Project 365

I was very excited to receive my first email this week for this first stage towards becoming a volunteer at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2026. I was a volunteer in Birmingham 2022 and as you may or may not know my love of working in sports is a passion of mine having previously worked for the Football Association and on the DP World Golf Tour in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and in the UK. I'm also a huge fan of attending sporting events, time and distance is sadly against me for a lot of events, but for the past season and a half I've returned to St Andrews in Birmingham for every home game.

Sunday Day 348 Early morning wake up message from son and girlfriend to let us know they were both safe in Sydney after the shooting in Sydney as it was moving day and they weren’t on Bondi beach. Son and family off out visiting family in Forest of Dean. I went for a run, Peter to the driving range then we met for a coffee and to spend the day lounging around and just chilling out. I finished my Book club reading and caught up with TV shows. Son and family back late.

Monday

Day 349 Home from work at lunch time, blood test and goodbyes said to son, DIL and grandsons. Always sad to say goodbye as I won't see them again till February and our half terms are different now. I got changed and went to the gym for 45 minutes and Peter walked down and joined me for a coffee. The evening was spent restoring order to the house. Beds stripped and washing machine and tumble dryer on. 

Tuesday

Day 350 Home from work and spent an hour tidying up the grandchildren's bedroom and made the beds. Peter did the ironing during the day and cleaned the bathrooms. I picked up a gift and dessert and headed into town to get my nails done and get a bit of shopping then spent the evening at my friends for dinner and watched A miracle on 34th Street (1995 version) which I'd never seen before and had no idea of the plot. I got home at 10pm, had a bath and went straight to bed.

Wednesday

Day 351 Into work, home and straight to the gym for 90 minutes on the cross trainer, rowing machine and bike. Had a go on a different machine working on my shoulders which was good and I'll build into my routine. Had a bath and spent the rest of the evening sorting photos, blogging and watching the football.

Thursday

Day 352 Hectic in work trying to keep years 7-11 engaged. Home from out and out for a coffee with a friend then an hour in the gym followed by a manic baking session, bath and in bed at 10pm

Friday

Day 353 I had to check each and every child’s health records on Bromcon for s as allergies before I could hand out cakes to 3 classes today. I had two form groups to look after unit 5 but at least I could just stick a film on. Home and got my stuff ready for an early start tomorrow and tided our bedroom which has been a dumping ground all week. Got changed and caught the train to Worcester for the staff night out, drinks and a meal.

Saturday 

Day 354 My 2nd parkrun and I ran 1 min 40 seconds faster. It was Monmouth’s first parkrun after the devastating floods 4 weeks ago. We left home at 7.30am to get there on time. Breakfast in the town after with my friend and her family and gift exchange, then off to mums to drop and presents and while Peter stopped in to watch telly, mum and I went out shopping. Last stop of the day was to see my friend and her husband to start planning her 40th birthday and our joint holiday to South Africa in April 2027. Home via a take away, football on the telly, bath and watching Hand Gruber falling off Nakatomi Towers.

Things to make you smile:

Antics with the elf on the shelf. 8 staged elf on the shelf photos done ready to send grandson each morning then granddaughter arrives on the 23rd so there will be one for her to find and another on the morning of the 24th to stage. Grandson loved them. 

Things that made me happy:

Out with friends and new work colleagues for drinks and meals, secret Santa, cuddles with grandsons, 

On the blog this week:

The best bits of November 

Word of the week - BUMP

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