Flashback Friday- We don't do Christmas by halves!

For my Flashback Friday this week I thought I would relive two very special Christmas Day's.  


I have always adored Christmas, when I was little it was for the presents (obviously!) and now it is because it is the one day of the year that life doesn't get in the way, I get to see all my family in one place, no one is rushing around here and there,  and I have their undivided attention.


I had never spent a Christmas Day away from my family until two years ago and I have now done it twice in a row!  


Christmas Day 2009 was the first time I had spent it away from them.  Mr E and I had just got married on the 20th December and we flew out on our honeymoon to Mexico and Miami on the 21st so we were away over the whole of Christmas and New Year.  It was a fabulous honeymoon and I loved every single second but it was strange not being with my family and opening our stockings together like we do every year!  I have been abroad over Christmas once before, we went to Dubai, but I have never been away without them.


It was a magical Christmas.  We woke up and each gave each other a gift that we had packed- mine was a charm for my bracelet and Mr E got a few different bits.  My mum had also packed us a present each.  We went for a lovely early morning walk on the beach and Mr E took this photo.

The beach was deserted which was lovely and we got a lone walker to snap the photo of us below.

We then lay by the pool and it was surreal because a saxophonist played Christmas songs while we were sunbathing and drinking champagne!  Below is a photo we took to send to our family to wish them a Happy Christmas. (And also make them jealous!)

We then had a candlelit dinner on the beach in the evening which was amazing, we were the only ones on the beach and we drank a lot of champagne and wine and celebrated our first Christmas together as husband and wife,






Fast forward to December 2010 and it was a slightly different story!

Our beautiful daughter was born on Christmas Eve and I was in hospital on Christmas Day.  Unfortunately the hospital had closed the ward to all visitors except your birth partner due to Swine Flu so my family couldn't meet Mads until we were discharged which upset me a bit.  Also they were strict with the visiting hours which meant that Mr E had to go home at lunchtime.  I enjoyed Christmas Lunch on my own while Mr E was round at my mums with all the family!


I got a midwife to snap this photo of me cause I just look so pitiful!  I had to pull my cracker with the midwife and have my Christmas dinner alone!  (Well Mads was there but she wasn't too entertaining!) 


That thing on my plate was supposed to be stuffing but after the midwife said it looked like my placenta I decided to give it a miss!

Here is Mads getting in to the festive spirit!


Two very different Christmases but both absolutely amazing!  This year we have promised my Mum that we will most definitely be there to drink and get merry with them all.  I can't wait, we will all be there but this time we will have an extra special little person there to share it with.  Christmas is going to get even more magical as she gets older because we can live the magic through her eyes.  I can't wait to put out a mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph.  



Now head over to Cafe Bebe and check out the other entries in Flashback Friday this week.