It was a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.........

We woke early on Christmas morning and soon after opening our presents from Noah, thanks for the lovely surprise, we were on our way to celebrate Christmas at Maree's place.  The traffic was fairly light and we arrived just before 11.00am.

Soon after Jarrod, Aaron and Mum arrived and the festivities were underway starting with the gifts.  Aaron was our Chef for the day with Maree helping out with some of the vegetables and soon after we sat down to indulge in a delicious Christmas dinner.  Well done Aaron, and are you really sure you can't move in and cook for me everyday?  It was a couple hours until any of us could even contemplate eating the fabulous Christmas Pudding from Pat.  Absolutely delicious as always!

We spent the afternoon quietly enjoying Carols and each others company and then it was time to get  ourselves ready for the second act.  Dinner with Faye, Rem and Ethan.  We drove to Parkdale and enjoyed another round of exchanging presents before it was time to eat again.  Always a challenge after such a big day but we did manage to find room for some of Rem's delicious prawns and some ham and salad.  After dinner we had a fun hour or so playing Family Feud, one of Ethan's Christmas presents.  Not sure who are the people surveyed for these answers but mine were never right, Grrrr!  Still it was good fun.  

Not long after we said goodbye and returned with Maree to her place where we staying overnight.  It had been a lovely day and we had enjoyed it immensely.  But now it was time to sleep.

Next morning the very hot weather of the day before had given way to steady rain and much cooler temperature.  We enjoyed a quiet couple of hours with Maree before saying farewell and driving to our next port of call, Chum Creek, for Boxing Day fun with Astrid, Hans and Bianca who was back from Canada for Christmas.

This party is hosted each Boxing Day by Astrid and Hans for their neighbours to clear the decks of Christmas leftovers and over the years we have become the 'honorary neighbors' and have been invited back.  We really do enjoy seeing everyone each year and feel quite like locals for the day.

After many hours of eating, drinking and making merry it was time for us to say goodbye to everyone and start our journey back home to Euroa.  Returning by way of Yarra Glen, Yea and over the ranges we saw hardly any traffic and had a good run home arriving about 9.30pm.  It had been another big day and after a warm drink it was time to find my bed and crash.

So with Christmas celebrations over now it is time to stop and chill for a couple of days, less food and drink will be a good idea for a day or two as well.

Marg and Peter had spent Christmas in Sydney and were on their way to Melbourne via Albury and Euroa.  They stayed with us for three nights and spent the first day and a half with Judy and Geoff before they went off for their NYE celebrations at Point Lonsdale.  We also had the opportunity to catch up with them all for lunch at Albert's where we all had a fun time and a lovely meal.

We spent the afternoon and next mornings enjoying food, drink and great company on the back patio (AKA verandah).  On Thursday after breakfast we decided we would drive over to Healesville to check out Four Pillars Gin Distillery.  This is a fairly new enterprise for Healesville and once we found it we decided that lunch would probably be a good idea before the Gin tasting.  We had a very nice meal at The Grand Hotel before returning to try 'The Paddle'.  Three small glasses of gin with a small bottle of tonic.  All three gins were very nice and it is a great way to try some of their products.

Back at home it was time to rest, it had been a long hot day but soon we were all recovered and time for the aperitifs before dinner.  And it is now that I have to admit that after our big day out we were all in bed before the clock ticked over to 2016.  Ah well, you can't party every year they tell me!

The next morning we said farewell to our visitors, it had been so good to see you both again and look forward to next time we meet again.  Safe travels and enjoy the rest of your trip.

A day on our own and then we were welcoming our next guests when Leslie and Martin came to stay overnight on their way from Canberra to Phillip Island.  We enjoyed another lovely night and breakfast together as we chatted and caught up on everything since the last time we saw each other.

Saying farewell to Leslie and Martin brought our New Years Celebrations to an end and so on that note I will wish you all a very safe and happy 2016.  

We enjoyed an amazing year of adventure and travel and look forward to visiting more new and favourite places during 2016.  I will be back again with more stories so watch this space

until next time........