Let's Be Honest...Christmas isn't Normal in Australia!

 We had such an amazing Christmas!  Definitely one we will never forget.  It meant everything to share it with my parents, but just the memories we made here in Brisbane over the holidays will stay with me forever.  I did just fine having a warm and sunny Christmas!!!

 We found a great gingerbread tree making kit at the local grocery store, Coles.  Park's mouth is green from eating the frosting.  All the gingerbread was made and precut.  Now that is my kind of crafty project!

 On Christmas Eve we did the usual night before Christmas things...ya know, water parks, jungle gyms, zip lines, swimming and icecream cones.  Just your run of the mill holiday!  ;)

Here are the boys at the top of an awesome climbing structure at our favorite park, Rocks Riverside.  It is long ways up there!

Here in Brizzy they don't call them zip lines.  They call them flying foxes!  Everyone had several gos.  

 Grandma and the girls lounged in the rivers, cooling off from that late December heat.  All the kids here wear "rashies".  Little shirts that go over your togs (swim wear) to prevent too much sun exposure.  They are rash guards, but Aussies call them rashies.

 Here is Syd hiking up to the top of the ropes.  Oaks is right on her heels.  Never to be outdone!

 Oaks having a go on the flying fox!

 We had a blast showing off this park to my parents.  It's a pretty incredible space.  What a great way to spend Christmas Eve day.

All the kids at the top!

 That night we had our usual traditions mixed with some Aussie traditions too.  We read Christmas books.  I found about 10 Christmas books here to add to our collection.  So much fun.  Santa is always pulled in an old beat up pick up truck by a group of strong and loyal kangaroos!  Love it.  We also tried out the Australian Bon Bons.  They are little packages wrapped like tootsie rolls and they have prizes inside.  You grab both ends and pull at the same time.  They POP-- they have a little fire cracker in them that makes a loud popping sound like a cap gun when they open.  Ours were filled with hats, a joke and a small toy.  Some of the more expensive ones, come with jewelery inside and fancy things like that.

It was so fun to open each one and read the jokes.  Bon Bons are awesome.  Wish we could take some home for next year.  Many Aussies use them as table decor and each plate has a bon bon laid across it for the dinner guests.  Really fun!  For our Christmas Eve dinner we always order take out.  This year, we couldn't settle for anything less than--Chompers fish and chips!  Oh so fabulous!

Here's Lex with one of his gifts under the tree.  Things got a little dicey as I began running out of wrapping paper.  Luckily I kept all my receipts so I could wrap things in those :)  The goal was to NOT have any paper left over.  Because, well, we can't take it home with us! Mission Accomplished!

Christmas morning was a big hit.  The kids new it would be a simple Christmas because we don't have much room to bring stuff home.  Here's Oaks snuggling her new koala bear and baby bear.

 She did get a stuffed zebra with really large eyes.  That was a special gift from Syd!

The boys got matching kangaroo hats.  Pretty nice!

 And the girls got matching maxi skirts!!  Yahoo!

 Park was most excited about his wallet with real kangaroo fur on it and his new hat with his favorite rugby team logo on it.  Go New Zealand All Blacks!!!

Everyone got a special surprise in their stocking.  A little bit of America (thanks to Grandma and Grandpa filling my request list) stuffed into the socks.  We all had ranch dressing packets and lemonade packets in our stockings!  Yahoo!  Those are 2 things we have missed dearly!!!  And there were tons!  Enough to get us through our 2nd half!

 Oaklee was so excited to get her new tea set.  When she saw it she said, "Oh my gosh...am I old enough for glass?"  I said, "Well I guess Santa thinks you are!"  And she and Grandma enjoyed a very nice spot of tea and biscuits.   Soooo many tea parties happening!

 When we went to Rocklea market the boys found the fish market and purchased our traditional Christmas fish.  We always have a fish brunch for Christmas.  We got this salmon and it was AMAZING!!!  My dad told everyone he caught it off the front porch in the Brisbane River...well, it could happen I guess??

 Happy Brunch and Merry Christmas!  Rolls, fish, huge fruit bowl and hashbrowns!!!  It doesn't get better.

 The girls big score of the day were their new bikes.  Oaklee likes to ride hers in boots...just for effect I suppose.  And she only kept those training wheels on for about a week!  Now she's a 2 wheel girl!  We had a great bike ride on the Corso along the river.

Then home for a little Christmas swim and water volleyball game in the pool.

We spent a few hours facetiming with family.  Dear Apple, thank you soooo much for the invention of facetime!  You have made our year around the world so much easier!  We love us some good long facetime chats!
Sincerely,
The Allen fam

 Before the holiday was over we had to take a quick trip to Chinatown in downtown Brisbane and let my parents taste true Thai food.  It has become my fave here.

We stopped at some shops so everyone could try on a Crocodile Dundee hat.  That is so Aussie isn't it?  Love those hats.


We had such a great Christmas.  Our big surprise gift was a trip for the fam to see the Great Barrier Reef.  We will making that trip in May.  We can't wait.  It'll be another awesome adventure.

I learned so much about the beauty of keeping the holidays simple.  I hope I can remember that when we do it again next year.  It's not about the fluff and craziness...it's about family, service, love and of course-- celebrating the life of our Savior. It was a truly beautiful Christmas!