Cake & Penguins!

Today we went to Devon to visit the Wonderspouse's parents, partly because it was Christmas time and we always try to visit them around then, and partly because it was the Wonderspouse's 40th birthday!

We set an alarm, so that we didn't end up sleeping until lunchtime, got up, and had a smooth journey down the M5. MiL and FiL were tired and just starting to relax a bit after the last few months of chemo and radiotherapy, but had managed to make a splendid lunch in any case.

Along with the lunch, we had crackers (the Christmassy bit). They were fabulous - not only were they rather nice (blue with penguins on), but inside each one was a wind up penguin. Initially we had 4, but when FiL saw how much we liked them, he got the other 2 crackers from the box and we had 6. They also came with a "race track", which we brought home with us! Oh, and they waggle their feet as they move! :-)

After main course we had the birthdayish bit - cake with candles. I made FiL relight them after the Wonderspouse had blown them out so I could take a picture of them with the penguins!

Then we had pressies, the main Christmas one is in tomorrow's blip (since I'm backblipping today, I can tell you that, as I've already chosen the picture for tomorrow). I was highly delighted that, even though she's scared of small animals, MiL had got pressies for Charlie, Moses, Laura and Robbie!

After the Christmas parcels, the Wonderspouse had his birthay parcels, which he enjoyed. The main one was a beautiful new fountain pen!

Then we headed for home, and had another smooth journey back.

The other amusement was that a mystery was solved. When the Wonderspouse went to pick up our Christmas Goose, our butcher informed him that £40 had already been paid towards it. He couldn't remember paying anything, but didn't argue - just assumed his memory must be going!

However, when he opened his card from my parents, he discovered a message inside saying that £40 had been sent to our butcher for him to spend on whatever he liked, along with a whole lot of pictures of meat!

He's planning to use the money we'd planned for the goose and didn't need, to get something special for us in a day or so when we've recovered from the Christmas food fest!

It was particularly lovely to see MiL and FiL this year, since MiL has been so ill recently. The next stage is for her to have another scan in January, but, for now, she's enjoying the best quality of life she can manage.

The Wonderspouse was certainly pleased to have both parents around on his 40th. He also muttered something about his wife, but I think that's just mad ramblings as old age sets in!!!! ;-)