ozcountryquiltingmum

'Twas the night before the night before Christmas........

And all were sleeping, even hubby on the couch!

Just about organized, a little bit of tidying tomorrow, a touch of cooking and a big night of Sunday School Nativity service tomorrow night and the big day will be here.

What's the Christmas routine in our house seems to be of general interest, so here is a run down.-

Christmas Eve service is big in our thriving little rural Lutheran area. In a Church of about 150 adults we have 47 children in the Sunday School.As Superintendents, Robyn and I are in charge of Christmas Eve and we have been practising madly for a few weeks. Last year we did a huge effort with plays off the internet, this year is the straight Nativity. Robyn is on her year about with the other side of the family which puts me in the driving seat tomorrow night. This is my 6th and last as we are handing over the reins. I don't usually start relaxing for Christmas until it is all safely performed and none of the 3 year olds wet themselves while in my care! A lot of the families here have Santa come while at Church, but in the area I grew up in Santa came in the morning and that's what happens here. I think the evening thing had something to do with ensuring everyone gets to Church in the morning! But it's probably more an old Prussian tradition.

Santa gifts are in the santa sacks I've made and anything wrapped is from us. This is great when things have been accidentally seen or one child was with you when you saw a great thing for the other. I am not pedantic about eveyone getting the same number of gifts not the value-they get what they need or grabbed me as suitable. I generally ensure there are the same number of wrapped things under the tree but quilted santa sacks always look full!

I decided to replace Yoda, (I think my BIL just saw a stray) and we will have a cute little tabby kitten under the tree on Christmas morning. She was saved from the vets at the 11th hour today and comes immun., flea treated, vet checked and with a desexing voucher. She is in hiding at my SIL's tonight. All other gifts will pale in comparison. My girl is also getting a little silky chook under the tree as well. Live gifts are big here!

Christmas day will begin early, for us as and the kids as nothing can be opened until we are there as well-I couldn't bear to spend all year finding just the right thing and not see the joy!We then have early Church that at least someone attends and a bit of food preparation. Until 2 years ago we always had to drive the hour to my Mum and Dad's but we have started sharing it and this year it is here. All bring salads, meat and lots of desserts to share. we work all this out ahead. Gifts are a $50 Chris cringle for the adults and the kids get things off everyone. When I was growing up we went to my Dad's family for lunch and there were heaps of us. We had a huge youngies v. oldies cricket game after lunch that everyone played and it was great.

Tea this year will just require us collecting up the next lot of food and walking the 20 metres over to grandma's to catch up with the other side of the family-I love when I am the host! $30 Chris cringle was voted on and decided to be continued this year as usual . (Fot those of you who remember it was a saga!)

So we manage to catch up with all of the family and it is normally a good day. It looks like the weather may be quite cold again for Christmas though after we have been boiling here most of the week. We got a quarter of an inch of rain even, at least in dampened the air, if not the Earth.

I have a few photos to share. I made my sister a big beach bag out of the Moda plastic coated fabric. Great looking stuff but terribly hard to get even the leather needle to make a clean sewing stitch if you have a plastic coated backing as well. I'm hoping she just sees the general bag rather than the topstitching. I made a whole heap of little purses out of the scraps, they have nearly all been distributed today to babysitters and friends teenagers.

Some Christmas decorations I love. This angel I found a year or two ago, I'm sure the patchwork clothing has nothing to do with why she is a favourite!

The little wreath was a gift at my Christmas party. It is just a child's cheap metal bangle with fabric scraps tied around, looks great.

The patchwork chook was a gift from Robyn this year to add to my ever increasing collection.

The last photo is of some of my more eclectic Christmas decorating. We have all the necessities, nativities, santa on a chook, more chooks and Talking Boony and Botham figures in recognition of this year's Ashes cricket series. They talk to each other and tease each other all the time while the cricket is on. Don't ask me how, it's all to do with some kind of radio transmitter, but we love them no matter how they manage to talk!

So I will finish by saying,

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" LOL Traceyxxxx