Almost a Full House!

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Getting the family together is always a logistical challenge – and this weekend we managed to fill the house with most of the Gambles clan.

Bev arrived on Friday night around 7.30, and whilst we gossiped, we devoured one of Ann’s cheese-boards (and a rather tasty 2011 Sauvignon Blanc from Mr Sainsbury ‘Coolwater Blue’ from New Zealand) whilst getting thoroughly depressed watching EastEnders 🙂 – a double-bill, so doubly depressing!!!

On Saturday, Ann took Bev shopping in Leicester whilst I wrestled with the regular six-weekly task of: get-the-cats-to-the-parlour-without-losing-an-arm game. I also gave Bev’s dissertation a once over and helped her scan in some extra information.

I picked up the cats, lighter, fluffier and grumpier at around 2.30 and the girls arrived back just before 3.30 slightly lighter of purse! 🙂

There wasn’t much left of the afternoon, so we caught up with the newspapers over a very large Pimm’s and then got ready for going out for a bite to eat. We took Bev to our fave Chinese restaurant – Han in Market Harborough and it didn’t disappoint – the food was a scrummy as ever, and it was good to see a restaurant so busy during these difficult times.

We left the restaurant feeling like ‘the Stuffing Family from Stuffsville’ and got home just after 9. It was still very warm outside, so we just chilled and watched a bit of TV before crashing out not long after.

Even with all the windows open, it was a stuffy evening and we knew that we probably wouldn’t sleep too well.

Sunday arrived, and it was already warm at 6am. I was up first, followed by Ann and the Bev. Lunch preparations began immediately, so I ensured there weren’t too many cooks and washed the cars.

By 11.30, we were all prepared. Cars washed, table laid (outside – that made a change!), lamb cooked, wine chilled and every conceivable cooked vegetable standing-by! Lee arrived shortly after with Roger, Jane and Oliver hot on her heels.

We caught up with each other’s news before sitting down to lunch on time at 1. As expected, the main course was scrummy, made even more enjoyable by the hot weather – Phew! it was almost too hot! For afters Bev had made her legendary Lemon Bakewell tart (last seen here a few weeks back), and Ann, with a little help from Oliver, created a humungous Pavlova.

A couple of hours later, we were all stuffed. We soaked up the sun for a while, before it finally got the better of us and we retreated indoors. Lee and Ann took on the sink whilst I set-up the photos we’d taken at our Olympic Weekend and the Closing Ceremony. Lee and Ann then re-joined the rest of us to help us relive that unforgettable weekend.

After everyone left around 3.15, Ann and I finished clearing-up outside, just as it started to look as it if might rain. It didn’t, but it at least it motivated us to put the garden furniture away.

It’s been a great weekend and great to catch-up with Ann’s side of the family. Back to reality tomorrow!!!