Sunday 22 December 2013

The last days to Christmas

The chaos is over, the kids are home from school and hubby is home for two weeks. We can relax, unwind, embrace, cherish, share, laugh, cry, love and be one as a family. We dived into it on Friday night with a meal with very special friends and a beautiful bouquet of gorgeous flowers from the man I love. Not just any flowers, but a very special Protea, South Africa's national flower, sitting amongst the rest of the beauties.



Yesterday afternoon the family all rolled up their sleeves to make our traditional marzipan for the Christmas cake. Everyone chipped in and helped, its become a bit of a tradition and we always use this recipe that is both fool proof and delicious.



There was a little marzipan left over so I had a go at making some chocolates. I simply cut some stem ginger rolled them in marzipan and then dipped them in melted dark chocolate. I also made some plain marzipan in chocolate as an alternative. The end result is surprisingly delicious and definitely much better than seeing this lovely marzipan go to waste.
 

Today we enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours soaking up the Christmas cheer at the Treacle market and then this evening we joined some friends for the Church carol service, which was wonderful.
 


 
Presents are all wrapped and all we have left to do now is to go and watch our Christmas movie, Frozen, prepare the food and spend some time with friends and family, which for me is the best part of Christmas. I so wish Ma and Pa were here with us, its always a time when I really miss them.
 

 


I will be taking a little break from blogging over the next few weeks to savour time with my loved ones, but before I sign off I wanted to thank each and everyone who take time out of your busy lives to stop by and read my blog. Thank you to everyone who always leave such wonderful comments, you have truly enriched my life beyond anything I can put into words. The last 11 months have been incredible and I have made some wonderful friends and met some truly grounded and inspirational individuals. You have given me strength on days when I really didn't think I could get out of bed. You gave me hope on days when I felt that life was just a little to hard to contemplate.

I wish each and everyone of you and your families around the world a very magical Christmas filled with laughter, love and joy and may each of you be blessed to have a happy and healthy new year.


 

Leaving you with a few jokes from little J's advent calendar this year, courtesy of maltersers.
 
What do you get if you cross a hen with a bedside clock?
An alarm cluck!
 
Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A mince spy!
 
What do snowmen eat for lunch?
Icebergers!
 
What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?
Tinsilitis!
 
What do you call just married spiders?
Newly-webs!
 
Who delivers cat's Christmas presents?
Santa Paws!
 
What kin of paper likes music?
Rapping paper!
 
What do you get if you cross a snowman and a shark?
Frost bite!
 
Why did the golfer wear an extra pair of trousers?
In case he got a hole in one!
 
 
Ho Ho Ho!!!
 
 
Merry Christmas
Hannapat
xoxo

 

33 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas to you and your family Hannapat!

    Everything looks so festive. I see you create such a wonderful ambience for your family to enjoy the season. You are so organized too to be so ready and sounding so relaxed as your begin your break. How wonderful.

    Enjoy your Christmas and the holiday. I hope to "see" you in the New Year!

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  2. Your home looks so pretty and festive and the gifts look so stylish wrapped in the brown paper with the pretty tags and ribbons. I have very much enjoyed my visits to your lovely blog and have had fun getting to know you! Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a happy and peaceful new year.
    Marianne xxx

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  3. Have a wonderful Christamas time sweetie, it's always a joy reading your blog posts. Have lots of fun and laughter with your family and friends over the festive season
    Clare x

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  4. Have have a very merry Christmas, hope it's everything you wish for and more, :) x

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  5. Dear Hannapat
    Have a lovely family time over Christmas and thank you for the encouraging comments you leave for me too. Have a wonderful time.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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  6. A delightful Christmas post lovely Hannapat - I wish you and yours a fun relaxed happy time throughout the Season and I know you will enjoy every precious moment of your time with family and friends. I'll be so missing you and looking forward to more of you in the New Year. Much love and joyful blessings, Joy xoxo

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  7. Dearest Hannapat I too am so glad that I have found you and hope that we will meet in 2014, you have been a real inspiration to me and I adore reading your blog. You have the most wonderful time - sorry I couldn't make it to the Treacle Fair today as some of my family came over for a festive meal. Sending you lots and lots of love and special hugs. Happy Christmas Hannapat.
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxx

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  8. All your preparations look lovely Hannapat, and I am sure that you and your family will be having a wonderful Christmas time together. It is lovely getting to know you a little from your posts. Thank you for visiting me and for your lovely and supportive and kind comments. Much appreciated. I hope that you enjoy your time while on your bloggy break and I look forward to seeing you again in 2014. Happy Christmas to you and yours. xx

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  9. Dearest Hannapat
    Here's wishing you and your loved ones a joyous Christmas full of good cheer and special memories made.
    I love your protea, looks like a queen protea to me, i have a few dried out ones that Andy gave me for my 40th birthday a few years ago.
    Sounds like you are all ready and prepared for the festivities, have fun and see you in 2014 xox Penny

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  10. Hannapat it has been joy to have found and read your blog. Have a very wonderful Christmas.

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  11. Merry Christmas to you & your dear family. I am SO glad our paths have crossed in the virtual world anyway. I feel blessed to have found a kindred spirit. Much love & prayers for a much healthier year ahead. Xx

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  12. Wishing you and all of yours a very happy and fun filled christmas and health and happiness for the New year.
    Rosie xx

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  13. Such a clever idea with the left over marzipan, and thank you for the fudge recipe the other day - I have made my first ever batch of fudge and I have to admit it is exceptionally yummy, so thank you for the idea.
    Have a lovely, lovely Christmas,
    Kate
    justpootling.blogspot.co.uk

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  14. what a beautiful flower! and a very clever christmas cake! have a lovely christmas time Hannapat, Heather x

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  15. Just popping in to say have a very happy Christmas and a happy new year. Deb x

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  16. Merry Christmas to all of you. It sounds like you're having a lovely time together. Take care and enjoy.

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  17. Hi Hannapat,

    Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Sparkling New Year!

    Madelief x

    * the cake and the chocolates look delicious by the way!

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  18. Yuletide Greetings ...Hannapat
    Hope you a very special time with your family
    Thea xx

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  19. Dear Hannapat,

    Wishing you and your family a very cosy Christmas and a happy New Year ! Anita xo

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  20. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Have a lovely two weeks together.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  21. I'm not at all surprised that those chocolates are delicious, I can tell just by looking! I hope you and yours have a really lovely Christmas and a very happy New Year. CJ xx

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  22. ~ LOVED this post as there was some thing here for every body to smile and agree with....~ and a chuckle at those merry jokes too...Sending blessings and wishing you a wonderful time, dear Hannapat!....
    Take time to be and savour all the magic in the season....~Tis a a busy time for us Mum's....
    I smiled a little smile at your knowing of living with a 'Man' who 'runs'..
    ~ I live with three members of the family that do!
    ~ With hugs and twinkles from my corner to yours....Maria x..

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  23. Gorgeous Christmassy post, such yummy things! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas! Look forward to seeing you in 2014 and hope it will be a wonderful year for you.
    Helen xx

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  24. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

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  25. Hi Hannapat,

    Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for your friendship over this past year. Everything looks so inviting at your home. Enjoy these memories with your family.

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  26. Yes, this is the time we miss you all the most! It really hurts! Your protea is very beautiful! I miss the one's we always had in Knysna. Well, Christmas is upon us and you bring it all home. Your cake looks amazing. Just when did you turn into a cake decorater as well? I'm sure it is just so lovely to have Andrew home as well. Please take it easy and just relax! What do I do with leftover marzipan - into the bin! Just too much trouble but look what you can do with it! Enjoy your day! May it be filled with special blessings and my wish for you is that the year ahead will be a healthy happy one. Love you so much!

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  27. Hannapat, just to say I hope you have a wonderful few days with the family. I would like to say how much I enjoy reading your lovely blog and look forward to more in the New Year. Love, Anne

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  28. Amazing flowers! Lucky you! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your lovely family, and wishing you a peaceful, prosperous, happy crafting year. Lots of love from my tribe to yours XXX

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  29. Here's hoping you've had the best of Christmases m'dear, and that the year ahead holds only good things for you and yours x

    And thank you for the pleasure that is your blog :)

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  30. Hope you had the best Christmas, I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed reading your blog.I cant wait to see what you do in the coming New year

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  31. Dear Hannapat, the jokes had me giggling. And that cake looks so amazing, Wishing you and your family the best year ahead. Hope you're enjoying your break.

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  32. Your Christmas preparations look wonderful. You thought of everything! I hope there was time to sit back, relax and just enjoy the moments after all that work. Happy New Year to you Hannapat, I hope 2014 brings you health and happiness. x

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  33. Not really a post comment but I don't have your email address I was just hoping you were ok and your ME wasn't bad - missing reading your blog
    Sue x

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