Our Christmas

 I don't dread Christmas as much as I used to, but it's still a hard time of the year.   I used to love the Christmas season when Noah and Aaron were here, but December isn't a month I look forward to anymore.


I'm glad that the boys look forward to Christmas still, as it helps me to get out and do things with them, to try to not let the sadness overwhelm me at this time of the year. The Christmas parade started it all off at the end of November.

 Jay had to work when the parade was on, so he wasn't with us.

We put up our tree the next day, as Kobe was begging me to get it up and I knew we wouldn't get it up for another week if we didn't do it then.  It made his day and he is always excited to put the star up, as he's the youngest.

 

We also went to the Carols by Candlelight and Erin came along with us.

We finally went out to look at the Christmas lights on Aaron's birthday.  School didn't finish for me until the 22nd this year, so Christmas came up so quickly. 

On Christmas Eve we always have a picnic on the floor in the lounge room and watch a Christmas movie or show on TV.  This year we watched 'Shrek the Halls' and decided we are going to watch it every year as it's quick (which means I can get on with getting ready for Christmas Day) and hilarious.

Kobe is still very excited about Santa.  He keeps saying he thinks it may be parents who bring the presents, and if it is his 'childhood is going to be ruined, and he's going to be sad and mad'.   I'm sure Santa enjoyed the chocolate and milk that he left for him.

Harri was the first one awake on Christmas morning. He said he woke up about 5am, but waited until 6.30am to wake the rest of us up.    The boys were very excited about their presents and then we had waffles for breakfast, thanks to a waffle maker that Kobe requested for one of his presents.

At lunch time we drove out to my Mum's.  I love this time of the year when the poppies are all coming out.

This year was a very quiet Christmas for us as my brothers were all away at their in laws for Christmas and Chrish stayed in Sydney.  My sister Nicki and her family were actually in Tasmania for Christmas Day (from the USA) but they were also with her in laws.  So it was just Mum and us celebrating Christmas Day together. Mum had a busy morning, and had Christmas breakfast with my cousins and Aunty and Uncle. 

It was nice to head down to the beach in the afternoon.  The weather was beautiful.  Harri and Kobe played cricket with some of my cousin's kids and husbands, while Mum and I enjoyed chatting in the sun with my cousins.

It was so hot, but the water was so cold!  I can't be anywhere near water without getting in, even if it is cold, so I jumped in really quickly before we left (and screamed like my Nan used to as it was freezing!).

On Boxing Day my sister Nicki and her family came up from Hobart.  We haven't seen them for about two years, and they've almost been living in Illinois in the USA for two years. It was so good to see them, and their kids have grown up so much.

After lunch we headed down to the beach, and also met up with my cousin Konnie and her husband Colin and their kids, who were down from Queensland for Christmas and a holiday.  Konnie and her sister Lanai were so kind to us when Aaron passed away and organised so many special things for us, through businesses when we went on a special holiday to Queensland.   It made our holiday so special, and I'll never forget how much it helped us as it made us forget how hard things were, just for a little while.


The weather on Boxing Day was beautiful again, and I couldn't resist getting into the freezing water just for a quick dip.

Kobe loved having his cousins to play with.  It can get very boring for him at home since Jay and Harri are so much older than him.

While we were at the beach my cousin Ty sent me a text, asking if Harri wasn't to go and play basketball with him and some other guys that night.  Harri always loves going out to my Mum's as my brother Eden and my cousins and friends who live there, get together regularly to play basketball together for fun. He was so excited, and met up with them at the school to play that night.  Konnie's husband Colin and their son Josh also went.  Harri was the youngest one there, but had a great time.

While they were playing basketball, the rest of us had dessert back at Mum's house.

Ty dropped Harri home  and stayed for dessert and to watch the Big Bash cricket on TV with Harri. He kept joking with Haz how it was their 'date night' as they both love watching sport.  Harri loved watching it with someone who appreciates sport as much as him.


Ty is also hilarious, so Harri loves hanging with him.  He wishes that he lives closer, so they can have more 'date nights'. It's so nice for the boys when they have older guys around, as they're always with their boring Mum.

Thanks to Erin who took our Christmas card photo this year. I'm glad that Christmas is over, as now we can really enjoy summer.  There's lots of anniversaries coming up in the next month, but it's much easier to deal with them as it's summer and my favourite time of the year, and I'm really needing a rest after working full time for the whole year.

 

45

Is how old Aaron would now be if he were still here.  Last week was Aaron's 45th birthday.  We only got to celebrate 39 with him, and it still seems strange that I'm celebrating his birthday without him. 


To be honest his birthday is bigger now than when he was alive.  The 23rd of December is such a pain of a day to have a birthday.  It's when everyone is busy getting ready for Christmas, and a birthday is the last thing you want to think about.  But Aaron used to love having his birthday then, as he said everyone was happy and excited for Christmas.


When Aaron was alive we would always just have his favourite food for tea and have cake together, but I love our birthday tradition that we do now that he's not here. It makes the day a lot easier, and I actually look forward to it every year as it's a fun day we spend with friends.


This year we met up again with my friend Simone and her family and my cousin Tim and his wife Helene and their kids.   Jalen's girlfriend Erin also joined us this year, which was lovely.   We always meet at the Punchbowl Reserve and have a BBQ. The kids played a bit of cricket, while we sat around catching up.

This time last year Simone was pregnant with Emerson.  He was loving all the attention he was getting.




We then headed to the cemetery with balloons to release at Aaron's grave.

It was a really windy day, and quite cold by the time we got to the cemetery. Arden kept finding artificial flowers and tinsel all over the grass, which had blown off different graves, so he collected them and then brought them all over to Aaron's grave. 

We always have Pepsi at Aaron's grave as it was his favourite drink. 

Simone cracked us up as she wore her Coca-Cola t-shirt thinking Aaron would like it, but we told her it was like cheating on Pepsi, so she had to cover it up for a photo.

It was so nice to  have Erin with us. She has also lost her Dad so she knows what Jay has gone through, and they are an amazing support to each other.

 Harri being a weird photo bomber!

 
Ava was so cute and said 'I love this day Lisa'.  I do too Ava! It's definitely not the way I want to be spending Aaron's birthday, but I'm grateful for friends who help make it a special day.

I'm also grateful for beautiful people who sent me photos throughout the day, of them having a Pepsi for Aaron. It means a lot to know that others are thinking of him and us on a hard day. It makes it a lot easier, as we don't feel so alone.