Woke up on Sunday morning to the sounds of Fletcher gurgling away in his cot. After a quick (or relatively so) walk with Jason, we lazed around the house, before heading out to lunch at Angel Cafe. Tamie went for a spill out the front and grazed all one leg and arm, which meant the poor thing was hobbling for the rest of the day. After leaving Daniel and Fletcher at home, Tamie, Jason and I braved the crowds at Grand Central, only to find there wasn't many last minute shoppers. We bought some stocking stuffers headed home, before heading out to see New Moon again (and again with out Daniel). Jason was not impressed with the pervy or 'Team Edward' comments throughout the movie (by Tamie and her work friend), but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
On Monday Tamie and I bought some decorations for their new tree, which Daniel had cut down and bought home that morning (don't ask where he got it, and I won't have to tell you). In the afternoon, we went for our family photo shoot (sans Ben), and it went a lot better than I thought it would. Can't wait to see the results. Fletcher was a bit grumpy towards the end, but I think there were a few nice shots of their little family (hope so anyway).
Tuesday saw Jason and I driving back into Brisbane and catching a water taxi across to North Stradbroke Island, where Bryde and Matt spend their Christmas. The island was much bigger than I thought it would be, with heaps of things to do and see. In the one day we managed to pack in: 
After a fair bit of sunburn (on my part), Jason and I braved the water taxi back to Cleveland, just missing the major storm. We did see quite a few lightening bolts hit the mainland on our way back.
On Boxing Day we did brave the crowds at Grand Central, only to find there were no crowds, and disappointingly no specials. I did pick up a few treats from Smiggle, including a decorative scissor set, a wall planner, and a cute turtle-looking usb hub (I know I'm a nerd at heart). The rest of the week was spent chil-axing, which wasn't hard to do in the dreary, foggy, rainy weather of Toowoomba.
Tuesday saw Jason and I driving back into Brisbane and catching a water taxi across to North Stradbroke Island, where Bryde and Matt spend their Christmas. The island was much bigger than I thought it would be, with heaps of things to do and see. In the one day we managed to pack in: - an ocean swim (probably only my third in my whole life, ending abruptly when Matt thought he had been stung by a fire jelly)
- fish and chips eaten on a picnic blanket overlooking the spot where Bryde's print had been painted
- a walk around the gorge (saw dolphins, turtles, and possibly a shark)
- the best gelato I've tasted in a very long time, and
- a paddle across Brown Lake on a rescue board (well Jason and Matt did that, while the girls watched)
After a fair bit of sunburn (on my part), Jason and I braved the water taxi back to Cleveland, just missing the major storm. We did see quite a few lightening bolts hit the mainland on our way back.Instead of heading back to Toowoomba the same day, we stayed at LastMinute.com's secret 5-star hotel, which turned out to be the Sebel Suites in Brisbane's CBD, and coincedently where Ben was also staying for the night. I don't think I've stayed anyway so grand, especially for the 1-star price we paid.
Wednesday we headed back to Toowoomba (with Ben) and started preparations for Christmas Day. I took Ben shopping for all of his Christmas gifts (nothing like leaving things until the last minute), and Tamie started cooking. Thursday was much the same, with Tamie the chief-cook, and me, the chief-present wrapper. Is it a little sad that I even had to wrap my own present. Apparently Ben doesn't wrap things...
For Christmas Day we started at Daniel's family's place in Pittsworth, and after getting home, started opening the plethora of presents. My favourite present was a new Pandora bracelet (from Jason), along with beads for it, from Jason's parents, Tamie, Emma and Grandma. I also scored a boardgame (from Ben), two Smiggle mechanical pencils (from Tamie and Jason - great minds think alike), some fudge, and a cute Fletcher desk calendar.
For Christmas Day we started at Daniel's family's place in Pittsworth, and after getting home, started opening the plethora of presents. My favourite present was a new Pandora bracelet (from Jason), along with beads for it, from Jason's parents, Tamie, Emma and Grandma. I also scored a boardgame (from Ben), two Smiggle mechanical pencils (from Tamie and Jason - great minds think alike), some fudge, and a cute Fletcher desk calendar.As predicted, the italian-themed feast for lunch, was a hit, with no tummy going hungry. In fact, most tummies, were full-to-exploding. My favourite was the strawberry and chocolate filled canoli, closely followed by the aracini (deep fried risotto) balls. I'm kicking myself that I didn't take any photos of the food. Too busy getting photos of Fletcher, I suppose.
On Boxing Day we did brave the crowds at Grand Central, only to find there were no crowds, and disappointingly no specials. I did pick up a few treats from Smiggle, including a decorative scissor set, a wall planner, and a cute turtle-looking usb hub (I know I'm a nerd at heart). The rest of the week was spent chil-axing, which wasn't hard to do in the dreary, foggy, rainy weather of Toowoomba.
