Christmas and family

Christmas is always exhausting!

I think its something do with the fact that Christmas in New Zealand is during the summer and is also the time when everyone has their summer holiday. So there is no respite in the middle of winter, you pin all of your hopes for a decent holiday and celebration on the summer months. At least in the UK you have Christmas and summer holidays six months apart. So holidays and celebrations are spread more evenly throughout the year.

I'm not complaining really. I think we are just really tired this year. Or at least I am trying to make excuses for the fact I fell asleep for two hours after Christmas dinner this year! It clearly has nothing to do with age :)

We are all really excited as my sister is coming over to visit from the UK. She has never been to New Zealand before and I have not seen her for over four years. The girls have reached a fever pitch of excitement. My sister is their very cool Aunty, so much cooler than their Mum could ever be!

One of the things I have noticed about being an expat is that visits from family are really important. I find myself driving around our local town planning the sights I want to take her to visit and things I want to show her while she's over here. I have been doing that ever since we moved here eight years ago.  Silly things like wanting to sit in the corner cafe drinking coffee after the dog walk so that she can experience the atmosphere. Or taking her to the supermarket so that she can see that the assistants actually pack our shopping away here and there are no queues for checkouts! I'm not sure these are the things she'll want to see, but these are some of the things I guess I weirdly value. 

I find you just want to almost justify why you have moved so far away and desperately need your visitors to appreciate why you decided to move to the otherside of the world. 

Its probably partly guilt. I often feel guilty for being able to live in such a beautiful part of the world and so when people come and visit I need them to appreciate why we made the  decision to abandon our family and and relocate such a long distance away.

Also probably part of me is hoping that they may decide to join us!

After all who wouldn't want to spend Christmas eve paddling on the beach!