How about the part where I worked eight days in a row? To many, that might seem like not much of an achievement. But when you're working in Christmas retail...boy is that a feat! This included closing at midnight and 9 pm almost every day, so I got pretty exhausted. Closing on Christmas Eve felt like I had climbed to the top of a gigantic mountain, and locking that door...closing has never felt so good! I just had to keep reminding myself that every hour working means more shopping in NYC!
Something pretty epic happened on the morning of Christmas Eve. The doorbell rang, and I walked outside to see the biggest wrapped box I've ever seen. I walked around the corner to see who dropped it off when I heard my favourite song start playing (the Glasgow Love theme from Love Actually-click here to listen). THEN my boyfriend jumped out of the box. Shirtless. With a Santa had and a sign hanging around his neck saying 'All you want for Christmas is me'. Holding presents. Turns out he had been plotting with my family to make it all work out according to plan, and to make sure that I opened the door (would have been awks if anyone else did!). I was laughing so hard I had tears, and my sister took a pretty epic photo that I'll post below). How does this guy make me feel like I'm in a movie every day/makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world?? That night, my family and I drove around a neighbouring suburb which must have made a pact to all have Christmas lights and put candles along the front of their houses-it was seriously an entire candle-lit suburb! Absolutely beautiful. And there was a giant firetruck with Santa yelling into the speaker 'HO HO HO'!
So, Christmas Day. I woke up at 5.40 (no joke-I am the least mature person you'll ever meet). I was just SO EXCITED that I couldn't get to sleep, and bolted downstairs as soon as I heard my Mum turning on lights. I had put so much time into getting people the right presents (collaborating with my sister Phoebe) that I seriously couldn't wait to see them open them. My brother's screams when he opened my PS3...I have never, ever heard noises like that come out of a thirteen year old boy. Us kids also did the 'Mum' and 'Dad' books from Kikki K which looked absolutely beautiful and they LOVED them (Mum even cried when she read hers, and took them to my Auntie's house to show people). Everyone got pretty spoilt this year, and it was nice to see Mum and Dad get lots of presents because they really deserve it.
After a church service, we then went to my Grandma and Grandpa's house for the main gathering which went OFF! I caught up with my cousins (we had some cheeky banter), and also had a lovely catch-up with my Aunty from NYC-we discussed lots of things to do there! So. Excited. The desserts at that lunch were absolutely epic-Grandma makes her famous French chocolate log cake which was DELICIOUS (had three slices #yolo). It was then time to head off to Newtown for dinner at my Aunty's which was lovely, and ended with watching Elf with my little cousin in his bedroom while it was raining outside. We then drove home and while I was very sleepy (hello 5.40am start), I couldn't stop smiling. I have so many wonderful people in my life who love and care for me, and Christmas never fails to remind me of that.
So now it's Boxing Day, and I'm here at the computer because my brother has hijacked my room to hook up his PS3 to my TV. Yay! Looks like my room is out of bounds for the rest of the holidays. #woohoo. Today I'm going to play around with the Polaroid camera that my lovely sister gave me and take some cute snaps. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and felt lots of love and joy!
Chloe x
