Adventure, baby!

sydney christmas

Christmas Day with the family 2014

We had a really special Christmas this year for a few reasons. Firstly, Cheese is now the right age to “get” Christmas, so she’d been getting more and more excited over the past few weeks, building up to a fever pitch on Christmas Eve. She’d run into no less than five Santas over December, who, this year, was a celebrity spotting rather than a scary weird looking person when Cheese realised he was going to give her presents.

It was also the first Christmas we’ve spent back in Sydney since Cheese was only four months old. As fun as it was celebrating in Hawaii and New York, spending it in Sydney at my childhood home, with all of my family traditions passing down to Cheese, was really special.

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas Eve – can you tell that Santa came?

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas morning.

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

My mum’s brother and his partner joined us for Christmas lunch this year. Due to my uncle’s ill health we rarely see him, and it was the first time he’d met Alec and also Cheese. It was a really wonderful lunch – simple and full of laughter and great conversation.

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

My parents had a wonderful day with Cheese. Seeing the big smiles on their faces really made this whole move worthwhile. After the big scare in January when I thought I’d never get another Christmas with my dad again, it was doubly special this year to have the chance for one more (and hopefully many more!) Christmases with Dad.

Christmas in Sydney via christineknight.me

Merry Christmas to and from my loves. I hope your Christmas was equally joyful with your friends and family.

Christmas in Sydney 2014

This year is a special Christmas – it’s our first back in Sydney since Cheese’s first, when she was only four months old, and it’s also the first one where she’s really “gotten” Christmas and is excited by Santa, reindeers, Christmas trees and carols. We’ve had a really fun few weeks checking out all of the Christmas cheer around the city, including our favourites below.

Christmas in Sydney 2014 via christineknight.me

The Queen Victoria Building is always beautiful at Christmas. The Giant Swarovski tree in the centre is just spectacular, with 144,000 glorious Swarovski crystal ornaments and 60,000 twinkling lights. I really love that on each floor of the building you get to see a different part of the tree.

Christmas In Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas In Sydney via christineknight.me

Christmas 2014 via christineknight.me

On the very top floor is where Santa holds court at Christmas. The QVB Santa is popular, so we got in early this year to avoid queues. He’s the happiest Santa I’ve ever seen, and I also really liked his helpers, who made Cheese laugh and feel comfortable enough to go and sit with Santa on her own for the first time since she was a tiny baby.

Christmas In Sydney via christineknight.me

The bottom of the Swarovski tree is basically made of lights. It’s a magnet for small kids and selfie-takers alike. This is actually a really sentimental spot for me and Alec from our own dating history, many Christmases ago now.

Christmas in Sydney 2014 via christineknight.me

Nearby in Pitt Street mall is the Lego Christmas tree – built entirely of Lego bricks. It features a surfing Santa, very appropriate for an Australian Christmas.

Christmas In Sydney via christineknight.me

For the first time this Christmas, I took Cheese to join friends at a Christmas evening concert in Hyde Park. I wasn’t sure how she’d go with the late night, but she had a fantastic time at the concert, watching the kids’ performers like High 5 singing Christmas songs, making a craft Christmas tree, and dancing with her little friend.

Christmas In Sydney via christineknight.me

We’ve been such Christmas nomads for the past few years, with Christmases in Hawaii and New York, that it’s really nice to be back home with our family and friends this year.