FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

1. The first two days of the week I was mostly busy with making headers for my blogs for next year. I didn't go outside at all, as Waterloo was packed with Christmas shoppers who bought their gifts in the last minute and the weather was also very bad.

2. I went to Ilona to celebrate Christmas just the two of us and exchange our gifts. She has  offered me a beautiful pullover which was perfect for Christmas day. We had coffee and a piece of the traditional French and Belgian "Buche de Noel" (which would mean Christmas log, as it looks like a log and is in chocolate) of which she had some left. She had celebrated Christmas on Sunday with her rather big family, her daughter has 5 children all with partners, her mother, sister, son and wife and her great granddaughter ! Compared to that I have a mini family ! We   had a nice time together.

2. To celebrate Christmas with our son in Amsterdam we took the Euroline bus and didn't go by car, as the weather was so rainy and foggy and we didn't want to arrive tired for Christmas Eve.
The journey was very comfortable, the bus even had WiFi.



Dominique drove us to the Brussels North station where the Euroline buses have their station too. In Amsterdam our son picked us up at the Station.

3. Once arrived we had a very much needed coffee and then a little lunch.
Christmas Eve arrived very quickly



There was a beautiful big Christmas tree, and Toby and his Dad were festively dressed. A friend of my son arrived too and we had a Christmas drink and little snacks.



Then was time to prepare the Pierrade. From the living room we could look down into the kitchen, to watch the busy bees. As there is a lack of space for houses in this area of Amsterdam, the rooms are one above the other and there are many steps !



We enjoyed our meal and grandson Toby was waiting for the "Buche" to be cut and served.

Unfortunately while carrying down glasses, I missed a step and fell 4 steps on the kitchen floor. Fortunately nothing was broken my left thigh was badly bruised and also my right elbow ! I got a light shock too and after that was quite handicapped and walking hurt very much. My son gave me a pain killer and I felt a little better.

4. The next morning at 7 am little Toby was already waiting to open the gifts Father Christmas had brought over night. For Mr. G. and me it was not the ideal moment, so early morning and a cup of coffee was an absolutely must ! We were used to exchange our gifts on Christmas Eve.



Once Toby had distributed all the gifts to his parents and us, he got dressed in this cute Christmas pullover and started to play ! The gift mountain was rather high ! We got a beautiful framed picture of us and some other things.

Time went by, I was mostly sitting on the sofa, each time I moved it hurt ! 



My son had prepared this rather big turkey although it was the smallest one he had found.  It  tasted delicious. I first thought it would be far too much for the 5 of us, but finally there was not that much left ! 



My DIL had prepared this beautiful cake, which also was delicious ! Mr. G. was, I think the best client of the cake !



and here we are posing for a Christmas picture.

5. On Friday morning at 10.30 we left to return to Waterloo.



Our son drove us to the bus station, where lots of people were already waiting. We had a nice journey back and Dominique arrived to pick us up and we returned to Waterloo where our cats were already waiting !

So another Christmas went by ...

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.