Every year my side of the family converges in Wellington for Christmas dinner. It's a big event and this year, bigger than usual.

With 19 guests, my gift making has gone into overdrive or at least my panicking has. Friday and Saturday nights saw me cutting and gluing book marks based on this tutorial from How About Orange. I figure those that are flying to Wellington for the event won't have much spare baggage space and nearly everyone in my family reads voraciously.

My Aunt has hosted us for the last 10 or so years. Two years ago, she moved into an apartment. This worked the first year, but this it will be harder work as there will be 19 of us. My aunt has hunted around for tables and chairs and the list of responsibilities was emailed out on Friday.

The list is an annual tradition. It used to be an unspoken responsibility that you inherited from your mother. My Great Aunt made great meringues and hence, her daughter now has that responsibility. Things have become more formal in the last few years with the list being first mailed, and then later emailed out. My mother was a little miffed when I inherited the task of bringing mince pies. I think it is more a testament to the fantastic pies she has made in years past. This years list came with little annotations along the lines of “Amy - tell your brother he's bringing the beer as he is wayward and had no email address”, to my cousin – “You need to read the attachment as you are bringing things this year.”

I've got the ingredients and so will be breaking into the mince pie making soon. It usually goes well. Maybe this year my mother won't feel she needs to make up a few dozen back up pies, just in case.