The Little Cherry Pickers

Ready for picking right in our own locality...........
It's such easy picking for the kids
But sometimes the little one just needs a little rest!



How fortunate are we that we can just call into the cherry farm and pick our own delicious juicy sweet cherries? Very...........and it didn't take us long to pick a couple of kilograms for Christmas. It was pretty hot, over 30 degrees and it was slip slop slap time and straight to the beach to cool down! (But not before devouring a few cherries along the way).

THE MAKING OF THE PUD

These three girls are experienced pudding cooks and only need a guiding hand to pull it all together!
Carefully cutting the butter into 'precise' squares - a job for a big girl, it needs a knife!
The preparation is very important - weighing the fruit was Tulle and Rori's job.First ingredients ready for rubbing in together.Tulle adds the brow sugar.
All hands needed to mix the fruit before adding to the batter - including Nash the apprentice chef.
Everyone has a turn cracking and adding the eggs.

Then the funnest part! All hands in to mix in the eggs :)Nash's job - taste tester!
"Hmmm, I think it will do!"
Nan's job, the final mix and pour into the cloth.
Grandad's job to tie the pudding so it doesn't allow any water in.
Voila!! The pud ready for the boiling pot.
The last and final part........
Clean up - the bowl that is. The big clean required a tub full of warm soapy water!!

THAT PUDDING!!!

A divine pudding even without the coins this year (they are packed away safely somewhere, so safe that we couldn't find them after looking three separate times!)
Double Deliciously Divine

LET THE FUN BEGIN WITH "SING STAR"

Sing Star was our gift to the girls this year and it was enjoyed by EVERYONE!
I wish this photo could show the dance moves made by S & J!!!

There Were Presents and More Presents!

Starting with Auntie Carol..........New swimmers and.........
Rori's absolute favourite - Dorothy (or Dothory depending on who you are talking to!) socks!
Rob about to open his HUGE parcel from his mum.
and every little boy must have a train - Thomas from Nan and Grandad.
Baie's book was a favourite...
It was the year of the bracelet - and the girls were delighted!

It was the start of a Merry Christmas Day

Nash's First Christmas

"What do you mean open your present?""This thing here, this is a present?"
"What's a present?"
So with a little help from his friends..........
"Right O! Now I get it"
"This is a present!"

So - This is Christmas?

What's all the fuss about?

Christmas Morn

Started for me and Allan with a cuppa on the yet to be completed balcony of our new house (at 7am). We sat on a tiny piece of board, just enough room for our bottoms! It was cool calm and exciting to think that next year we would be spending Christmas morning right there! Then back to the farm to find everyone awake and ready to start the day!
And more shortbread for breakfast - deliciously made by Carol yummmmmm!Eventually apron on and into preparations for lunch - all the while taking a phone call, on speaker so we can all add to the conversation!
And the presents sit - ready to go.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND

......all through the street..Came the sound of Christmas Carols played by the Salvos so sweet
The candles were alight to show the way for our feet.....

And then there were kids dancing in the street.......The Christmas lights twinkled - it was time to relax...
We were even joined by the Santa dog Max!
The Mayor filmed it all with a beer in his hand.....
The night was so special and turned out just grand!

Steve and Jaime lit up their home, as did others in the street, the Salvos played Christmas Carols, the candle bags lined the street and everyone was invited to come for a look, walk up or drive past and make a coin donation to the Mayor's Christmas Appeal, the kids had a ball. It was a warm night and the people of Mount Gambier came in their droves. It was a wonderful wonderful evening!