that's life! Issue 51, 2021

ME and my PET Here’s our annual family photo of my husband Peter, our dog Betty and me! Christine Moore, Grantham, NSW My brothers and I were lucky enough to visit Quebec City in Canada for a real white Christmas. It was magical! Elizabeth Dimopolous, via email We had a fabulous night at our annual mother-daughter Christmas celebration! Kathleen Doherty, Heddon Greta, NSW My nieces Aubrey, three, and Maddy, two, are counting sleeps and can’ wait till Christmas. Zylla Green, Christchurch, NZ WINNERS are grinners Thank you so much that’s life! for the wonderful knife set I won. I will certainly enjoy cooking with them. Jacqueline Harper, Port Macquarie, NSW My grandson Will and his Uncle Tom had fun at our family Christmas lunch. Deb Shirley, Neutral Bay, NSW My wife Liz and I took our dog Dexter to visit Santa. We think…

Lilah excitedly hugged her little sister Emily Howard, 26, Narrabri, NSW I watched as my daughter, Lilah, five, cooed over her little sister. ‘Adley!’ she smiled, cuddling her tightly. I just loved seeing my two girls bond. At five months old, my sweet Adley idolised her big sis, and they were inseparable. So besotted, Lilah tried to pick Adley up all the time, but my husband Andrew and I were teaching her not to in case she got hurt. ‘Don’t pick her up without Mum or Dad,’ we’d tell her. One morning, not long before Christmas, Adley was sitting in her bouncer while Lilah pottered around the playroom. I turned around for a moment and, when I looked back, Lilah had Adley in her arms. ‘Put sissy down,’ I said cautiously, taking a gentle step towards them both. As Lilah…

‘Leave her or it’s over between us’ The court heard he was juggling three relationships Sameena Imam was buzzing with excitement as she dashed to the shops. It was Christmas Eve 2014, and the 34-year-old grabbed a bottle of festive bubbles and a selection of lollies, thrilled about the thought of the days ahead. She had a fancy hotel booked and would be joined by her boyfriend, Roger Cooper. They planned to spend Christmas Day together as well. There was a slight hitch, though… Roger, 41, had a long-term partner. So, while Sameena was looking forward to a special holiday with Roger, she was even more excited for the new year, when he’d promised to end his other relationship. Sameena and Roger had met at the supermarket where they both worked. Roger was a manager and…

I’d grown up with loving parents and siblings We shared the same button-shaped nose Courtney Jenkins, 31, Gold Coast, Qld As the plane glided high above the clouds, I was feeling racked with nerves. Aged 17, I was flying to New Zealand to meet some of my half-siblings for the first time. Growing up, my parents Ashley and Lynne had always been open about the fact I’d been adopted. And they were happy that I was reconnecting with my biological relatives. I’d met my biological mum a few times as a child, so I’d had that piece of the puzzle. I wasn’t sad that I’d been adopted – I’d grown up with loving parents and two siblings, Scott and Melissa. When I was 11, we moved to Australia and, as I got older, I wondered who my father…

Vicki dashed out and bought the kids cheap stocking fillers Zoey, Moonee Ponds, Vic When I was a uni student, I’d stay with my brother Will and his wife Vicki over the festive break. I loved their kids, but they got everything they wanted. And Vicki could be nasty. She’d sneer at gifts I gave the kids, and say things like, ‘Did you keep the receipt?’ Once she even said, ‘Did you get it at a garage sale?’ One December, things were tough. I’d lost my retail job, my bills were sky-high, and I was behind in my rent. ‘You are coming for Christmas, aren’t you?’ Will said to me over the phone. ‘Of course,’ I replied, too proud to say I could barely afford the petrol to get there. ‘No gifts? Vicki said, seeing me arrive empty-handed. ‘Don’t…

That’s not a GUM TREE! An Adelaide family found a very unusual present wedged among the baubles in their Christmas tree. The McCormicks arrived home one evening in December last year, to find a koala casually clinging to the tree, with ornaments scattered on the ground. The koala, nicknamed Daphne, had likely wandered in when the front door was left open. It was later released into nearby bushland by a koala rescue team. ‘I thought Is this a joke? I thought one of my kids may have put like a soft toy in there,’mum Amanda told The Guardian. ‘It was a very memorable experience. After a bad year, it was nice to have that.’ Christmas dinner in the dishwasher! One TikTok user has eased the stress of cooking Christmas dinner with a unique yet…