We are currently enjoying a rainy couple of days at the beach, and the quiet time is giving me time to think about all I have been grateful for this year. I am coalescing my thoughts before sharing them here on the blog, but for now there has been plenty to be grateful for this last, festive week of 2014. I will capture our Sunday in next week’s post as we are going to be without internet for a few days. So, here it is, my Nourished Life Gratitude List 2014 – Week Fifty-Two:
Monday: The beginning of this festive week! Today I started my day with a lazy reading session on the couch before heading to the gym and getting started on our Christmas present wrapping. When Chris got home tonight I made pasta for dinner and we watched West Wing. I was grateful for a day of relaxation on my first official holidays.
Tuesday: Today was all about the baking! After a tough interval run and weights session at the gym I settled in with some festive podcasts, a whole lot of butter and sugar, and a Christmas baking list to accomplish. I baked spiced nuts, peppermint brownies, and oat cookies. The scent of spices filled the kitchen and I was grateful for the moment baking things filled with love to give and share with my nearest and dearest.
Wednesday: Christmas Eve! This morning I went for a hot 12.5km walk before Chris and I packed up and headed over to Jess and Trent’s to start our family Christmas Eve celebrations. While Jess and Mum got started on the roasted dinner and Chris ran any errands that we had forgotten, I made some cinnamon rolls to rest in the fridge overnight for breakfast tomorrow. Then we all got ready for the rest of the family to appear. As the evening came the family gathered around the table. Champagne was popped, roast pork (and veggies!) was consumed, and then our dessert smorgasbord came to life. There was much cheer and laughter, and the Christmas spirit was alive and well. I was grateful for the time with my family, and the sweetness of their presence was the greatest gift indeed.
Thursday: Christmas Day! Today was full of so much family time! We started our morning with breakfast with Mum, Dad, Jess, Trent, and Trent’s family. My cinnamon rolls were were a hit and Jess made delicious scrambled eggs. After breakfast we exchanged gifts. Chris and I were spoiled (as always), but the greatest gift was spending time with them all on Christmas morning. Chris and I travelled to Toowoomba for Christmas lunch with his family. We enjoyed a delicious feast while sitting out on the deck looking out over the valley before we headed back to Brisbane for dinner with Chris’s extended family. I was grateful for time with all the people we love and just as grateful when Chris and I got back to our own bed. I was so grateful to Chris for doing all the driving on Christmas Day too. The greatest gifts we received though was the love and time with our families.
Friday: Today we decided that nothing was the order of the day. While Chris slept I got my run on covering 12km before coming back and curling up on the couch with books all day. I managed to polish off some of the leftover cookies and do a little cleaning, but I was grateful just to spend the day mostly doing nothing and getting ready to go to the beach tomorrow.
Saturday: Today I woke up and enjoyed a quite breakfast while I got stuck into a new book. After a tough run and weights session at the gym, Chris and I curled up in bed and watched a movie before packing and getting started towards the coast. I am grateful for the quiet rainy weather and the chance to escape the city for a while and just spend time walking on the beach, reading, and talking late into the night.
Also this week:
- I shared my first scone recipe, and I can tell you there were none left after breakfast on Christmas morning.
- Chris and I got a sweet card from our friends Lynn and Matt from Fresh April Flours – thank you lovelies!
- I made a big batch of this sweet potato and haloumi salad to take with us on the road
Merry Christmas Everyone, and I hope there was much to be grateful for this week in your lives.
