Surprise

Start of the birthday weekend for L. Met up with N at the airport and we chatted over coffee and on the flight to Southampton where we met up with L&M. He’d brought a case to the airport so there was lots of hilarity about whether she was more surprised to see us or to realise she wasn’t actually going away herself (she very kindly said it was best to have us arrive!)
We were all despatched to Winchester for lunch and a catch up about L’s elderly parents and other mutual friends and family, then home. Clearly so much secret preparation going on all round us but they’ve been very good at keeping her in the dark.
Soon set off in convoy and arrived at a set of cottages in deepest Hampshire countryside. Beautiful views and sunset...the kids did quite a lot of running wild with excitement.
Gradually other families arrived and the evening progressed with wine, huge lasagnes and the inevitable lemon crunch pies, and a lot of talk......