So I prepped myself mentally for round two this past holiday season... no Thanksgiving, a hot Christmas, and no snow. It was still strange, even knowing better what to expect this year, but that doesn't mean that we didn't have a really enjoyable season. While last year we were just trying to feel settled in a new city and a new home, this year was totally different and we found some traditions that we definitely want to keep around for next year (bouncing with giant elves included).
While it was still hot and there was no snow this year, we actually celebrated Thanksgiving. Every good American knows that the holiday season really starts by eating until you have to can't keep your top button buttoned. But the rest of the world seems to not have adopted that novelty. After spending a couple years in Switzerland we have somewhat adjusted to missing Thanksgiving. And when the weather is warm and there aren't any leaves changing colors and falling from trees, in a way I barely notice not celebrating it. But this past year we were in for quite a treat when my women's bible study decided that we should put together an American Thanksgiving dinner. It was a very thoughtful gesture for the three Americans in the group, but also a fun way for us all to gather and talk about what we are thankful for, just like we would back home.
And there was certainly no shortage of friendly banter either. It was a team effort to create the menu with Americans sharing favorite recipes and finding creative ways to make sure we had as many of the appropriate ingredients as possible (especially those that are hard to find in Aussie grocery stores). There seemed to be an overwhelming consensus that most all the recipes started with good intentions that later went wrong by adding an abnormal amount of butter, cheese, salt, sugar or some other processed ingredient added. Yep, sounds about right. Thanks America for helping to clog the arteries of a few Australians in one night.
The kids table at Thanksgiving
The adult "long table" at Thanksgiving
Now that's an American Thanksgiving!
With that amount of food, it certainly felt like a typical end of November. And in typical fashion December kicked off with some shopping and visiting several malls and department stores in the area and in the CBD that were full of fun kids activities and decorations. We spent one Saturday as a family out shopping and another weekday with a few of our friends checking out the best spots.
Cute reindeer #1
Cute reindeer #2
Top of the Swarovski Tree at the Queen Victoria Building
Celebrating Christmas is better with friends
Writing letters to Santa (the other girls actually got one back from Santa too!)
Riding the train to the North Pole
Watching themselves dance to Christmas music
Christmas tree and Santa's lego sleigh at Martin Place
And no Christmas season would be complete without baking a few cookies and decorating them with friends was even better. And a day of celebrating Jesus' birthday at our playgroup was pretty great as well.
Making Christmas cookies with friends
Celebrating Jesus' birthday!
Without a doubt one of our favorite new activities was the Santa Fun Run to benefit Variety Children's Charity. It was a family friendly 5k course that we ran/walked with several friends. It was so much fun to watch all the kids get so excited to run it together. And you might have guessed it from the photos, but yes all participants got Santa suits to wear!
This is Christmas in Sydney
The whole gang pre-Santa Fun Run
Steve in full costume
We weren't the only Santas...
Here we go!
And they're off!
They ran most of the way!
Pretty scenic course...
Just a few beautiful landmarks along the way.
From Opera House to Harbour Bridge
Aren't they cute?
Party in the "snow" globe!
Bouncing with elves!
More fun was had with friends when Emma and Morgan also got to participate in their first "secret santa" gift exchange. We selected names for the kids and it was fun to hear stories of how they picked out gifts for their friends and the excitement for them all to meet up and exchange on a beautiful Friday afternoon. I'm not going to lie a beautiful Friday outside at a playground in the middle of December is pretty nice...
The "cupcake Friday" gang
A "flying fairy!"
A gorgeous Friday in December
But without a doubt, my favorite new tradition of the season was "Carols Under the Bridge." Beautiful Bradfield Park sits just under the north end of the Harbour Bridge and is a few kilometers from where we live. It played host to a gorgeous evening of caroling put on by the nearby Church by the Bridge.
Carols Under the Bridge
I completely underestimated just how large of an event this would be when we saw the advertisement and decided to go with some friends for the evening. It was absolutely spectacular. The performers and vocalists were superb, there were many great kid activities, and our favorite part was the live nativity and story of Jesus' birth. It was so much fun to watch Emma's eyes light up and to follow along and see the story played out in front of her. And then add simply perfect weather and that stunning view and backdrop of the Opera House and it couldn't have made for a better evening.
Mom's hat wearing, butterfly face painting, jewelry wearing, candle holding Emma
So much fun!
Mary and Joseph on their walk to Bethlehem
The living nativity was really well done
And of course no season would be complete without a few fun gifts. There were plenty of cookies and carrots left for Santa before we left for Thailand. Emma was thankful that Santa was able to somehow find her and bring her stocking to the hotel, but left her one "big gift" at her house back in Sydney.
Christmas eve family jammy photo!
Sisterly love
Emma and her new art easel
Well someone had to help Morgan open her gifts!
She was pretty excited about her superbunny costume!
Tickets to her first show at the Opera House wasn't a bad gift either.
But no matter what, two of my favorite memories are these... a Christmas Eve service like no other in Bangkok and a memorable trip to visit Santa. It was truly a wonderful holiday season. Even if it was hot.
Emma somehow managed to join the Christmas Eve Children's Nativity at a church we had never been to before.
2015 was our first southern hemisphere Christmas, in other words it was Christmas in the middle of summer. As you might guess, it was strange to have such a warm Christmas season (especially for this girl who grew up in Minnesota), but we did our best to make it just like any other Christmas. We found that Sydney had loads of Christmas activities to offer and we had our "best go at" exploring as many of them as we could. Here's a look at our December.
Christmas season actually started in November here (no Thanksgiving to celebrate for Australians). Emma was pretty happy with the start to the season with her playgroup Christmas party when Santa came to visit and gave her a gift.
Face paint, princess cape on and gift in hand!
While Steve and I missed having a few more of our sentimental Christmas decorations that we left back in the U.S., it didn't seem to bother Emma one bit. We got a tree and it was all about her homemade decorations this year.
Emma and I enjoyed exploring the downtown decorations. This was in the Strand Arcade, one of the historical downtown shopping centres.
Meeting Mrs. Claus for story time at a downtown department store.
Beautiful outdoor Christmas tree in the middle of summer.
Three story tall Swarovski Christmas tree in the historic Queen Victoria Building downtown.
We called this the Christmas bus, someone took a lot of time to decorate it! Just a regular city bus that was a special surprise for Emma and all the other kids that got on it.
So proud of her homemade gingerbread house!
We didn't really get any good pictures, but one night we went out to see one of the nearby neighborhoods that put up a lot of Christmas lights.
Out to the mall to find Santa and what did we find - face painting. This girl might think getting her face painted is one of the greatest things in the world and lucky for her there was no shortage during the holiday season.
We found Santa too!
Proud cookie helper!
So pleased with herself again!
Christmas Eve preparations for Santa (just don't tell her we actually pretended Christmas was a day later due to arriving back from Tasmania on Christmas day!)
She "kind of" understood Santa and Christmas last year, but this year she definitely got it!
Cookies, milk, a big carrot and a "Happy Christmas" letter for Santa and his reindeer.
One family photo with our Christmas jammies on and then I had them immediately off. Flannel and 80+ weather just doesn't mix.
Did Santa come?
Meticulously lining up her stocking gifts prior to opening...
Evidently when Santa comes she poses like a model for her photos.
And again.
Someone seems to like her new pedal bike from Santa.
And meticulously lining up all her gifts after she finished opening.
She rode a "pedal bike" at Grandma and Grandpa's for the first time late last summer, evidently she didn't forget what she is supposed to do.
Boxing Day (December 26) in Australia is also a national holiday. Most traditions revolve around barbecues and parties with friends and if you live in Sydney watching the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in the harbour. Just minutes before it began the harbour was seemingly a complete "mess" of boats from our view in Sydney Harbour National Park in Mosman...
... but somehow they seemed to instantly line-up.
And then they were off! Although fun to watch, it was rather anti-climatic with the boats so quickly lining up and taking off. You're too far away to cheer and with more than 10 helicopters hovering above it is way too loud anyways. The way to really watch the race is to be in a watch boat where you can ride along besides the race boats until they reach the ocean. Now just how to go about affording a boat...
The last holiday of the year, New Year's Eve Day and the crowds were out all over the city in preparation for the fireworks (this is the view from Cremorne Point).
Sunset on a beautiful city.
We enjoyed the 9 pm kids fireworks, but hope sometime to see the "real show" at midnight in person. Instead we settled on watching the live broadcast at home and impressive is putting it mildly. There is an incredible amount of time, organization, and money poured into this event that showcases the city of Sydney to the world every year - whether or not it is time and money well spent the Australians will continue to argue about, but it was quite clear that it attracted a large number of international visitors.
