This week has been all about Gary’s parents visiting. We are so grateful they purpose to visit us annually without hesitation. We all get on really well and they both make me feel like they have gained a daughter rather than lost a son. It is said that Tom only teases those he likes. I believe he must like me very much if the extent of him teasing me is anything to go by. I am the butt of most of the jokes which I (secretely) love (but shhhh don’t tell Tom!):
The photo of Tom falling onto the stairs with a big grin on his face is due to me telling him I thought he was right! Truthfully, I give as good as I get and he was so bowled over he was right and there fore I was wrong that his knees colapsed under him. Much the same thing happened when I , in passing, mentioned to Heather (Gary’s mum) that I thought I maybe had a few too many books. She too had to sit down and recover. That was one admission she did not expect to hear come out of my mouth!
It is always lovely to see them, but it was especially so this time because we put Tom (Gary’s dad) to work! He and Gary built our little ones a bedroom at the end of last week and finished it off at the beginning of this one. You can read all about it here but here’s a photo:
It was a fantastic opportunity for the little ones to help Daddy and Grandad:
You remember T13 received a bike for his birthday? It was second-hand and needed a bit of work done to it such as breaks and gears and a seat put on. Gary asked a very mechanically minded friend of his (who incidentally has made his own gorgeous wooden guitar from scratch!) for help. This friend stripped the bike back to its bare skeleton, Gary washed and polished it and then the bike was put back together again. Or was it? We got a frantic call from our friend to say that whilst he had been tidying up he had found a nut and bolt which belonged somewhere on T’s bike! T had just gone out for a ride and, although thankful on his return that he had not been hurt, we had to giggle when he arrived back with a pedal in hand looking slightly bemused! The nut and bolt did in deed hold the pedal fast to the bike and it is now safely where it should be.
T has thoroughly enjoyed his bike, choosing to cycle everyday for exercise. It is a muddy business and I can see my washing pile increasing in the very near future:
As we rarely get an opportunity to celebrate Christmas with Tom and Heather, I thought it might be nice to have an impromptu Christmas dinner. I served a bird inside a bird inside a bird, sausages with bacon wrapped round them, parsnips, roasties, stuffing, and lots of veg:
We all had so much fun chattering around the table:
I had included some left over crackers kindly donated by my mum. It is a family tradition going back years on my side of the family to all pull crackers together in a big ring:
Following was much commotion about gifts, hats and joke telling:
Once all the hats were placed on heads, jokes were told and the chocolate had been distributed (not very) fairly, we handed out the flutes which came with the crackers. Each flute, ranging from long to short, had a number on their base. We had numbered stick it notes and a Christmas song sheet with the songs played as letters rather than notes. Oh my, it was funny! We were atrocious:
I think only Heather guessed a song or two correctly! It was enormous fun though.
Just as a reminder to my English readers. I wrote yesterday about a book giveaway which will be ongoing until I have the room to build a door to our bedroom. Right now it’s looking impossible:
Yes, where those book shelves are is where we want to create a doorway to our bedroom. I will be going through all our books and starting on Monday will be giving one book away for free each week day until I have got rid of enough to build me a door!
All you need to do is check the Book page at the top of my blog each day, if it is a book you would like email me. It will be on a first come first served basis and I will let you know if you have been successful or not as soon as I am able. For more details see this post or email me or leave a message below and I shall endeavour to get back to you as soon as I can.
I hope everyone enjoys the weekend ahead with lots of lovely time with friends and family.
Linking up to Weirdunsocialised Homeschoolers, Homegrown Learners and Living and Learning with our New Normal
I love your library. Mine look just like that about a year ago. Then I got the kids their own kindles and we just borrow books from the library now. I’m visiting from Weekly Wrap Up
We’ve looked at kindles. Just now though we still prefer to hold the physical book. It does seem sensible for those lacking in space….ehem!
I love how your family is so clever and resourceful. I am glad you had such a fantastic time with your relatives.
Blessings, Dawn
Thanks Dawn!
Looks like a lovely week! So funny the photo of your FIL 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Thank you!
Crackers sound like so much fun. We don’t have them here in the states, oddly enough I don’t think we have many English Christmas traditions, I think many of ours are German in origin, though maybe carolling is English….. More research is in order obviously.
Once you find out the answer let me know? I can’t believe you don’t have crackers in America. They are such an integral and fun part of our Christmas I rather stupidly thought everyone did them! Now I need to research so I don’t say such ignorant things in future!
I knew about them from Harry Potter and a few other British books I’ve read, but that’s about it.
Your inlaws sound wonderful! Having been blessed with some pretty great ones myself, I can appreciate the sentiment you expressed.
We had to thin out our books a lot before moving and even so I’ve had to do it again a couple of times here. It’s like losing a friend to get rid of some of them, but our tiny library appreciates getting them and I can visit them occasionally. 🙂
I LOVE the vision you caused of you going and visiting your old friends at the library. I completely understand!
I love seeing your crackers. I saw those and almost got them. Looks like such a lovely, lovely week.
Thanks Phyllis, it really was!
what fun with family. I love the bike story! lol glad he was not hurt…nice to have great friends that are handy 8) Enjoy your week!
Thanks Melissa
Looks like a lovely week! I get along very well with my in-laws as well – it’s such a huge blessing.
I don’t think I’d look forward to parting with books… even for a door 😉
LOL! No I’m not looking forward to it, but hopefully it will bless someone and that makes the parting all the easier!
I’m happy it was such a great visit with family. The little bedroom is adorable. I love how you just make the space how you want it. I’m stressing over if we should add glass doors to our formal living room. Lol. Good luck with the books. The charity stores here have gotten quite a few from us in recent years. I like your idea to bless others. Have a great week.
Thank you Christy. I hope you have a good week too!
Gary’s dad looks like he would be so much fun to be around. I am so happy you all had such wonderful family time. Isn’t it great to get on so well with your in-laws? I love mine dearly.
I do see why you must clear some books. You seem to have an abundance of them. Too bad you don’t have more space for them all.
I love the cracker tradition. We might have to start that here.
Abundance. Yes we really do. Time to declutter even the books!
Hi Claire. Just getting round to doing this now. Been fairly busy since we got back. The photos are great and we did have a really good time with you….as always. You might just?? have got rid of those books by the time you need the door. Love the idea of giving them away slowly and blessing others with them. xxxxxxx
Maybe if I do it sloooowly, it will be less painful?
Now I just need to stop buying more to replace them!
I’m so glad you both had a lovely timexx
You guys have so much fun! You are one big happy, loving family! I’ll have to go check out the bedroom! You do have a lot of books, but one can never have too many!
That has always been my mantra, to be oft repeated. One can’t have too many books….one can’t have too many books….It was when I started getting replies of ‘One can if one has no where to put them!’. It reminded me of Max Lucardo’s Punchinello and his boxes and balls. I did not want to become like that so this seemed a good solution!
Hello my lovely friend! Just in case you pop over to Blogger… I am not there as they have really messed me about. I am back on WordPress. Find me there. I love all your family posts. I am so homesick for family at the moment. I am just vicariously living through your lovely happy photo’s. Thank you 🙂
Hello again! I thought I’d lost you once more (boooooo, sad face)
I’m sorry you are missing South Africa so much, although I’m certain the weather can’t be helping. I always miss South Africa during January and February and I’ve never even been there! (I just imagine hot sunny cloudless skies!)
Oh you made me smile with that one 🙂 It is the weather, I think. I need that African sun. I think it’s hard-wired into me. At church today I was just observing a few of the other members who are from further up north in Africa… One chap in particular from Gabon… We all seem to have an inner chill. Anyway… It shall pass. There is beauty in the Northern Hemisphere Winters and I am so looking forward to Spring here! I am told it is breath-taking!