A Family Smile

~ Colline

There were so many things that made me smile this week. Besides being Christmas – a holiday during which I spend time with my family – it is also my birthday. The reason for my long-lasting smile this week is my family. Not only did my husband and children spend time with me over Christmas, but they also spent the day with me on my birthday.

Christmas began as it always does: with me spending some time on the sofa reading before my family awakes. I always enjoy this time in front of the Christmas tree. After sending Christmas messages to my family in South Africa, I relaxed a little with my current read. This year I decided to get brunch ready before waking up my husband and children. The kids are older now so they are not impatient to open the gifts. We spent a lovely time at the table chatting and catching up with our son who is visiting for a couple of weeks.

After brunch, we got ready for opening the gifts. We normally spend quite a bit of time doing this as we open the gifts one at a time and discuss what has been given. We always have a number of laughs – and this year was no different. This year I got everyone a couple of Christmas socks. Of course these were pulled on quickly to show a little Christmas spirit. I am sure the socks will be worn during the year and I will be seeing them in the wash. If not, I am sure they will be brought out again in December in the lead-up to Christmas. After gift opening, we relaxed a little and read. No-one was up to playing board games and we decided we would watch a movie after supper. We did so, and it was the end to a perfect day.

My smile continued two days later with my birthday. When I woke up, I read the messages that friends and family had sent me from all over the world. Then, of course, I spend a little time reading. Then it was time to get ready for lunch. As is tradition, my family and I went out to a buffet lunch to celebrate me being a year older. Upon entering, we were impressed with the effort the restaurant had made this year with the decorations.

The food was also delicious this year. Last year we were disappointed as some of the dishes were dry. This year, overcooked meat was not an issue. Eating out with my family and chatting with them was the best gift they could have given me. I really appreciate that they spent the time with me, especially now that they are older.

After lunch, we went to the cinema to watch Mary Poppins Returns. We had to see this show en famille as all three children had watched the movie with Julie Andrews repeatedly when they were young. They knew the songs – and even some lines! The 4pm show was popular and many families were waiting in line to enter the cinema. There were even some older people waiting in line – curious, I am sure, to see what Disney had done in this sequel of a well-loved film.

My day ended perfectly with a gift from my children – a gift w hich shows that they listen to me and know so well what I would enjoy. We watched Crazy Rich Asians togetheron Christmas Eve and I had said I needed to read the stories because I loved the film so much. Et viola! My first reads for 2019 are now waiting for me next to my bed. Today I hope to complete my current read so that I can begin this trilogy soon – though some more family time and smiles are prepared for the next couple of days.

I hope you enjoyed your Holidays as much as I did. It was definitely something to smile about!

© Colline Kook-Chun, 2018

(This post was inspired by Trent’s Weekly Smile, a challenge which focuses on sharing all things positive.)

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34 thoughts on “A Family Smile”

  4. Happy birthday! It sounds like a great week full of family! It is nice that you are able to do something different for your birthday to differentiate it from Christmas, since they are so close. I hope you had a fabulous weekend and a wonderful New Year!

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  9. Looks like you had a wonderful Christmas and birthday! It’s so nice to have family surround you during the holidays. It definetly makes everything sweeter. Wishing you the best this 2019 and also looking forward to the book reviews, the movie was so-so for me so I’m looking forward on what you think of the book!

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  10. bonjour, Colline et merci pour ta visite @ mon aire de jeux… comme dans qqs heures, 2018 prendra le large, je t’adresse le traditionnel:”bonne et heureuse année!” auprès de tous tes loved ones… ❤ et un rappel:”Pour chaque fin, il y a toujours un nouveau départ…”(Le Petit Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) 🙂
    * * *
    une excellente santé, courage, optimisme, joie, sérénité et… des océans d’inspiration! amicales pensées un 2019 selon les 3 “p”: tes plans, projets et possibilités… 🙂

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  12. Happy belated birthday, Colleen! Sounds like a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful birthday celebration. The birthday gift from your family was very thoughtful. Happy reading and best wishes for the year ahead 🙂

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  14. Pingback: The Weekly Smile Recap 12/24 – 12/30/2018 #weeklysmile | Trent's World (the Blog)

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