Christmas Celebrations

So Christmas is officially "over"I guess but I'm not back at work yet so the holiday isn't over:)

I have to admit I wasn't particularly into Christmas this year - most likely due to the stress of starting a new job two weeks before Christmas and a few other things that were going on at the time.

But I did get to catch up with a few of the girls pre-Christmas - got to hang out with Jess after work one night and have a gossip. Plus Jess gave me two of my favourite sorts of present - a handmade present and a present for me to craft with! Jess made me a wee bracelet which was very cute and also a badge making kit - excellent:)

Ange also came over for a catch up one night and dropped over a Christmas cake and drank tea with us and discussed the merits of "Deal or no Deal"(although Ange says we have some classy ladies on our version of the show compared to the women on the Aussie version).

I also managed to catch up with Celia and Simon for drinks and gossip on my last night in Wellington.

I headed to New Plymouth via plane on the 21st and when I got to New Plymouth it was SO hot! Carolyn came and picked me up at the airport and after lunch I filled in the afternoon by looking around town (I have to say New Plymouth is getting better all the time - some very cool shops there now).

In the evening I was Carolyn's "date" for her work function which was held in a Taranaki institution "Andre's'' - to start with I was a bit worried about going there as it's a "fine dining" kind of place so I thought it may all be duck liver pate and other vegetarian unfriendly type meals. But when the meal was served it was a smorgasbord and as well as being a whole bunch of meat there was also vege's a plenty and they were all so fresh and just fantastic!

On the Saturday my mum came over from Stratford to pick me up and take me home - and my little brothers look was one of happily surprised disbelief when I arrived home, very cute.

On the Sunday I had my first "Christmas"of 2007 with my family which was great fun - but as always I ate too much and felt stuffed **meh**

When it was time for my Bro and Dad to take off and milk the cows (oh the joys of the farming life) my mum and I went on a bit of a tiki tour and caught up with a few of mum's friends.

On Monday (Christmas eve) it was time for a bit of a North Island Odyssey for me - I left New Plymouth at about 7:50 am on a bus heading for Hamilton, I arrived at Hamilton at 11:45 am and then hung about the bus terminal until 12:30 when the bus left for Tauranga. The bus to Tauranga wasn't much fun WAY too packed and I got stuck sitting next to an overly talkative elderly woman, but I figure I may have made her day by actually listening to her.

So since Christmas eve I've been at Rich's parents place doing the whanau thing and eating and drinking way too much - we've even managed a trip to the Morton Estate Winery....now the only people left at the whare are Rich and I and we are taking off with Jo and Andre tomorrow for a bit of a tiki tour and then heading over to Hamilton for New Years.

So that was Christmas 2007 - bring on 2008!!