Elsa Pataky shares rare photo of husband Chris Hemsworth and their children enjoying Christmas Day

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have given their fans a rare glimpse into their family life.

On Thursday, Elsa shared a sweet image on Instagram showing the couple and their children enjoying Christmas morning.

In the photo, the Hollywood stars and their children all wore matching pajamas as they gathered around the Christmas tree.

Elsa beamed as she posed with their twin sons Tristan and Sasha, 10, and daughter India, 12.

Chris joked in the background, also in festive nightwear, as he struck a funny pose.

‘I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!!!’ the star wrote in her caption alongside the candid photo.

It comes after Elsa welcomed a new family member this month.

The Spanish actress, 48, posted on Instagram the exciting news that she and Chris, 41, had a new dog.

The animal, a German Shepherd, comes from Capaill Colored Shepherds, a breeder based in Queensland.

The company promises: ‘We breed solid, healthy, purebred German Shepherds in delicious colors.’

The average price for this breed averages between $3,500 and $4,000, based on online estimates.

Elsa shared a series of photos of the adorable puppy, as well as a few of the mother-of-three cuddling with the new family member.

“Our new member of the family, a beautiful German Shepherd,” Elsa wrote in the caption.

However, she was soon criticized by her fans and animal protection groups for choosing to buy from a breeder instead of adopting from a shelter.

“Which rescue was he adopted from because you definitely wouldn’t have bought a breeder!!!!” one angry fan asked in her comments on Instagram.

‘Dog lovers make it our job to spread the word about the right thing to do. Adopt, always!!!’ said another.

‘Adopt. Buying is taking away the opportunity of a dog in a cage,” someone else said.

“Elsa does not adopt, accept kennels or breed dogs,” said another opponent under the images.

Kerrin Lee of Jades Dog Rescue NSW also spoke, tell Yahoo Monday that “people are dumping and throwing up dogs in unprecedented numbers.”

“Adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue will save one more dog from death. Thousands of unwanted dogs are killed every year,” Kerrin said.

‘We always promote adopt don’t shop, but we also understand that not everyone wants to adopt a rescue dog.’

Other fans showed their support, with one person writing: ‘She’s a beautiful girl! @capaill_coloured_gsd_australia are fantastic ethical breeders.

‘We have two boys from them, one of which is your girl’s brother from the same litter! What beautiful dogs’.

Another said: ‘Doesn’t this puppy deserve a family that wants it just because someone else had it for sale?

‘As if the dog was to blame. It’s fine to adopt, but I don’t see the problem with anyone wanting to buy it either. All puppies deserve to be loved by someone.”

“Omg those floppy ears,” one wrote, while another said: “Wow, it looks like a wolf.”

Meanwhile, someone else said: ‘Oh my god, so fluffy!’

The family lives in Byron Bay in a sprawling $30 million, eight-bedroom mansion on a huge 4.2-acre plot of land in Broken Head.

Elsa revealed that she wasn’t always convinced about moving Down Under and that she had a very specific condition for Chris before she moved.

Elsa, who is originally from Madrid, admitted she told Chris she would only move to Australia if they lived on a sprawling farm where she could have horses.

“That was my deal with Chris,” she told the station Courier mail.

“I said I was going to move to Australia, but I wanted to live on an estate, a farm, and have horses, and he knew that.”

Elsa also gave a candid insight into her relationship with Chris and shared their secret to a happy marriage despite many challenges over the years.

“I think we all have this beautiful dream of marriage and loving each other and it’s all perfect, but it’s a lot more work than you think,” she said.

“It comes with so many challenges, but it’s wonderful to take on those challenges and learn about each other and how we change over the years and how we adapt to each other.

“You can think from the outside that a marriage is perfect, but they all have their stuff and they all need a lot of work.”

Elsa and Chris will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary on December 22, although she admitted they rarely remember their anniversary.

Although it may seem like a misstep in the relationship, Elsa insisted the date is easy to forget because it is so close to Christmas, and said they laugh about it every year.

Elsa gushed about her husband and also admitted she always wanted a ‘partner for life’ as she opened up about how she wants to grow old with Thor actor Chris.

Elsa and Chris married in an impromptu ceremony while on holiday in Australia in December 2010, just three months after going public with their relationship and ten months after they first met.

They moved to Byron Bay five years later after buying their forever home in the coastal paradise for $7.6 million.