A very British Christmas indeed

I can't believe that Christmas is over! As I write this I've still got my Christmas table cloth on and the tree up with the lights still twinkling. Christmas was very nice this year. It's the 3rd one I've spent in the UK, last year we went to visit my friend Taylor in Japan. Christmas Eve was a weird day. Matthew had to work part of the day and I still had shopping to do. We were going to be driving down to Bognor that night, but we weren't going to celebrate until Christmas Day. 

I am used to do the bulk of the celebrating on Christmas Eve and having kind of a chilled Christmas Day. This year I had a nasty cold that decided to get really bad on Christmas Eve so I spent the car ride asleep :) We got down to Bognor and stopped by Matthew's Nanny's house for a quick hello before I had to go to bed. 

I felt better on Christmas day and we spent a nice day with the family at Nanny's. Christmas Day was spent with Matthew, Thomas (brother in law), Charlotte (sister in law), William (brother in law), Nanny (Matthew's Grandmother), Mum (Matthew's Mum) and Rosemary and Tony (Matthew's Mum's sister and husband). It was a good sized group and everyone was in good spirits. Charlotte and my Mum in law, both had a touch of a cold as well. 

What I like about get togethers in England is the nibbles that are served. We always have M&S duck rolls, salmon bellinis and cranberry and brie parcels washed down with several glasses of prosecco. You will never see a veggie platter with raw broccoli and cauliflower! My English family shudders at the thought :)

We sat down for an amazing meal at around 3 p.m. and this year's dinner was beautiful. I also like how English people like to describe food as being beautiful or gorgeous. As an American I like these two adjectives for food :)

I am telling you that it was fantastic, beautiful and gorgeous! Nanny is one heck of a cook and her roast beef was to die for. After dinner we all just hung out, opened presents,played a bit of brandy fueled monopoly and then watched East Enders as we enjoyed our trifle. 

We then spent Boxing Day with Matthew's dad side of the family and that was very nice as well. There was a tiny bit of mother in law drama, which I won't get into. Families at Christmas can always be interesting :) All in all it was a very nice Christmas indeed.