Merry Portland Christmas!

Immediate family only (+ spouses/in-laws + children) and we still numbered 17. The beginning! All my Christmas crackers in my packed luggage were (reasonably) confiscated as explosives at Heathrow. As they were expensive M&S crackers, and as after I offered them to the security guards for their Christmas instead they said they couldn't accept them under Heathrow regulations and would have to destroy them, I cannibalised them so that I could take the innards with me. Several English grandmas were stopped at the same time, but they were not as frugal. I laughed and so did security throughout the entire surgical operation and so did the grandmamas. A four-year-old complained on my behalf to her mother as it wasn't fair to me as I was missing the best part of pulling the crackers.

Here is a little Portland snow (now melted) with me, my dad and my nieces and a (also now melted) "snowgal".

Cutie nephew

Like Father, like Son. Actually my brother David is sporting a specialised form of body modification here instead of Mardi Gras beads.

I made limencello - technically not limoncello, since I used both limes and lemons

Finished limencello

Oh yeah, I have red hair now

The present un-wrapping commences

Cute sinister nieces

The present aftermath

My brother-in-law is a big Pokemon fan. With new nephew Flynn!