So that was Christmas.... and Happy New Year!

*photo heavy post alert!*

The day started with Big Miss very excited to give us her gorgeous handmade gifts, the first presents of the day!

then some in-bed snuggles

and a portrait as taken by Big Miss

stockings for medium kids...

small kids...

and big kids.

giftage

ah, Batman, I love you



accessorised




 and personalised




and finally waterised....
The view of the bottom of our court, underwater.
The DBH spent the evening with neighbours trying to keep the house at the bottom from flooding whilst they weren't home.




Minor damage and leaks for us, thankfully




the kids play area


Christmas night at our place was cancelled due to the heavy rain, golf ball sized hailstones (we arrived home just 3 minutes before the hail hit so our new shiny car was spared thankfully) and the fact that our estate was cut off from both directions by flood waters. It took us over an hour and a half (for a 30 min trip) to get home through the devastation of the tornado, that seemingly we missed by mere minutes. The weather was so severe I moved Little Miss out of her room for fear of one of our big gum trees outside coming down on to her room. The night was very scary and Christmas certainly took a back seat as we mopped up, sandbagged and and strategically placed old towels in known leaky spots. The girls were particularly upset by the thunderstorm and not to mention the cancellation of festivities, but we reconvened with family on Boxing Day.

asleep and oblivious,
the way it should be for littl'uns during major weather events!

Hope yours was joyful and safe.

Cheers to 2012!