Home sweet home

There's no place like home is truest saying that is quoted daily and all across the world.

Over the Christmas holidays my husband and I traveled back to Edinburgh to celebrate Christmas with my family, I have talked about this trip in past blogs but I wanted to share some of our adventures while we visited (this may be more like a picture book blog).

This was the first time Carl has been to Edinburgh, which allowed my extended family to meet him who couldn't make it out to our wedding. It was so fun being able to show him all the places I love,speak of often and for him to see where I grew up.

<<< Theses are our excited faces.>>>

We arrived just in time (it was planned this way) that we would be there to celebrate my nephews fourth birthday. We went to an indoor soft play center which have become so much cooler than when I was a kid, then hit up every child's favourite food establishment Maccy D's. After opening many presents we all enjoyed his tower of donuts from Crispy Creme. He was in heaven, who wouldn't be with a donut the size of your face.

My mum has had a tradition of taking each of us to 'high tea' at the Dome. We sit at this table by the window, enjoy scones with cream and jam and copious pots of coffee (I know it is supposed to be tea) every time we come home for Christmas. This year was extra special as all three of us daughters and grand-daughter were able to go together. A few tears were shed as we spent some much need girl time together discussing my sisters upcoming wedding, future grand-babes and what was coming this next year.

I became a tourist in my own city which is actually a lot of fun. We took a bus tour jumping on and off at different landmarks like Edinburgh Castle, St Giles Cathedral and Starbucks (had to stay warm and caffeinated). I love the history that is in my city and telling old stories like Greyfriars Bobby. We walked miles passing incredible frost covered buildings, dark closes, cobble stone streets and the many sounds of  the bag pipers. 

On Christmas Eve, those of us who were awake enough braved the cold and piled in to Cramond Kirk Church for the midnight service singing silly songs and beautiful old hymms. Christmas day we had a packed house with my family now being a great ten members strong plus both sets of my grandparents. We woke up to my mum thumping on the door to get up, get downstairs for breakfast, coffee and some presents. As our tradition goes my dad will always either read the biblical Christmas story or an exert on Christmas then we pray together, it's one of my favourite traditions.

Quick showers all around, cute Christmas clothes on and snowball drinks in hand we all sat cosied up in the den exchanging presents but mostly watched my nephew open his mountain of presents. After a delicious meal Carl and I had the privilege of sitting down with all my grandparents to watch our wedding video as they were unable to attend. We spent a few days between Christmas and New Year going on long walks, coffee dates, climbing up Arthurs seat and much more.

 
 New years eve is actually my dads birthday so we all spent the day together going to see Alladin at the pantomime, for those that don't know what that is: Pan-to-mime: A traditional British Christmas entertainment for children, usually based on nursery tales and featuring stock characters in costume who sing, dance, and perform skits. After the pantomime we headed home and ordered in Indian cuisine per my dads request. From there on everyone split up to go celebrate the coming in of the new year,some went to bed, some attended house parties. We went into Edinburgh to watch the castle fireworks then met up with my sister and brother in law to be at a little pub, rolling into bed around 3am. 

  As our trip came to a close we went out with one last big bang. We decided to go on a one day adventure road trip to a few distilleries (one of which is Carl's favourites Glenfiddich), see the Scottish countryside and then go to a rugby game. As we drove up north we entered a winter wonderland being caught in the middle of a snow flurry, so as most people would, we pulled over jumped out and played in it. After our visit to Glenfiddich we dashed back down just in time to meet up with some of the family to watch a local Edinburgh vs Glasgow rugby game. Freezing our butts off in the stadium explaining to Carl some of the rules, we cheered Edinburgh to victory. 

What an incredibly amazing trip this was, filled with  fun & family. I have so many more photos of other memories we made that I simply could not fit them into this already very long blog. I hope you enjoyed seeing what we got up to over the Christmas season, I don't know how we can top Christmas 2015.