Christmas comes but twice a year...

When you stay away from home and have to leave gifts at home it happens twice a year... This morning we've just opened the "rest" of Christmas... hmm I could have a reputation that I am unaware of... 4 bottles of red wine, a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Glenfiddich... a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

Wonderful gifts from South Africa - thank you James, Michelle, Josie and Sophie... the picture panel is fantastic, as I type Elspeth is making and doing with the plethora of items that fell from her parcel - ah peace... well almost... :-)

Gifts from the non-Cox branch of the family [no criticism], and friends - they are all wonderful- thanks, Jemima will not be separated from her spotty tea set.

One of the best things has to be Jemima's huge bag which houses all of her gifts - when she delves in with both hands it is almost as if it's swallowing her...

Boxing Day

More visiting relatives on Boxing Day... my cousin Joy her husband and children John, Tara and Ryan were over from Amsterdam and had rented a cottage with Auntie Pam and Uncle Brian near to Poole Quay... a short walk [despite E's sickness] to shell hunt on the "beach"...

We must visit Amsterdam...

Christmas Day

A first for the family... Christmas away from "home".. for the 25th "home" was the cottage, we'd left some presents at home as we'd brought those for the Cox side of the family with us to exchange at the wedding. We'd also left the stockings at home and so some emergency Father Christmas duties saw Sarah dash into Asda on Christmas Eve to brave the thonging masses to pick up a few items... just a few - enough to stuff into her thick socks to put by the fire...

Jemima and Elspeth both got wonderful hats from Stuart and Anna [made by Mary, Anna's sister-in-law].

Christmas Day was cut short for the two girls at about mid day, both girls flaking out on the sofa and sleeping soundly... unfortunately they both subsequently were quite ill over the following days...

Christmas Eve

A wonderful Christmas Eve meal courtesy of the kindness and generosity of Anna's parents Chris and Cinny at Poole Yacht Club. Anna's brother David and his wife [the talented seamstress, Mary -see Christmas Day hats] Anna's Aunt Pat, Louisa and Louis, and Mum were all present with the two girls and of course the happy couple [they were to set off to some boring 2 week holiday in Tanzania and Zanzibar on the 27th]...

Fantastic company, fantastic views over the bay and decent food... Thanks to Chris and Cinny for their generosity.

The Wedding of the Year?

Stu (uncle Pid) and Anna got married on the 22nd December 2007, Elspeth was a flower girl - for weeks before we had the "I don't want to be a flower girl" outbursts, which were, to be fair, spaced between an equal number of "I want to be a flower girl" statements...

The day was fantastic, as the wedding was in Poole it necessitated a trip down on the 21st and a night in a Travelodge - pages could be written on this experience - perhaps for some cathartic psychological review in the future- then a week in a cottage in what felt like the back end of nowhere...

[Not entirely sure why the pic of the flower girl is sideways....]

The wedding was fantastic, the bride and groom looked so relaxed, and the venue was fantastic... from the lit grotto into the Romanesque gardens with statues and reflecting pool to the Jazz duo welcoming guests [oh and the mulled wine and almond cake]... and the food - superb.... then dancing the night away... retiring at midnight with Jemima sleeping...

Nearly there...

The kitchen progresses like a slug navigating a pavement spread with salt... to do: tiling the splash backs, [re]painting the walls [to remedy Jemimas "modifications" to the original], painting the woodwork...