This Christmas was a very different one for me of course, being my first time apart from my family at Christmas as well as my first time having Christmas in Winter!
Christmas Eve started it all off. I had to do a restaurant mystery shop so Daniel and I went out for a really nice lunch which ended up being free after I got my mystery shop payment! At night Amy, Daniel and I were invited to Brian and Teresa's (where Amy and I lived when I first arrived) for a Christmas Eve steak dinner. It was great to see them again and we had a great night. Daniel and I both told everyone how we celebrate Christmas in our countries and we opened presents together - very unexpected but highly appreciated presents!! We also played board games and did a puzzle together... it was really nice. After dinner we had drinks and watched a movie at our house, and we pulled our beds out into the lounge room and slept under the Christmas tree =)
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| Bryan, Josiah, Teresa, me and Kaitlyn puzzling on Christmas Eve |
On Christmas morning Amy, Daniel and I opened presents together at our house and I made Christmas pancakes - shaped like candy canes, baubles, presents and Christmas trees! Then we headed over to Robert and Ineke's for Christmas dinner. Dinner was amazing, and I was totally overwhelmed by presents I was given... I got so many nice things from people who had only known me for a month or so. We hung around together playing games and chatting for the night.
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| Amy and I getting totally spoilt on Christmas Day |
Boxing Day morning we were up nice and early and drove a couple of hour to a place called Manning Park where we went snowboarding! It was such a beautiful drive, there was snow on the trees and it was just gorgeous. Snowboarding was really fun, and even though I was terrible for most of the day I still really enjoyed it. As well as having great teachers, I was determined to persevere and by the end of the day I could stand up for bout 20 seconds or so, which really was quite an achievement! I am hoping to go again soon and just keep getting up and keep getting better!!
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| Mike, me, Amy and Daniel at the bottom of the mountain after snowboarding |
On New Years Eve we went over to Robert and Ineke's again for dinner, which was great as it always is when we go there! After dinner we went back to our house and Daniel and his housemate Derek came over and we all had drinks (mmm egg nog....) and played poker (which I lost, this time). Just before midnight we went back to Robert and Ineke's and watched the Times Square ball drop on TV. Then we went outside and played with sparklers. After we left there we went to the park and played running races and had a New Years cigar or two!! =)
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| Amy and I on New Years Eve |
Later on in the morning I made more pancakes, this time special 2011 ones! I love having Daniel over because he is always so appreciative of my pancakes and will eat them all =)
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| Daniel with my "New Years Pancakes" |
On the night of the first, Dan, Amy and I drove up to Capilano Suspension Bridge. They have a special event on over Christmas called 'Canyon Lights,' when the whole place is lit up with Christmas lights and there are special little things going on all over the place like gingerbread man decorating, glass blowing workshops and carol singers. We walked all around the place, went on a treetop walk and looked in the really cute little shop. I thought a lot about my Mum and Dad while we were there because I remembered their photos from when they went!
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| At Capilano Suspension Bridge =) |
So that was my very different, but fabulous Christmas and New Years! =) I felt very loved and it was great to spend time with so many different people!
Until next time,
{gemma}
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