Happy birthday Anni!

Today is Annabel's 12th birthday! How time flies! When she was born and we went back from the delivery room to the ward, the midwife introduced her to the ward staff with the words, "This is Annabel; she has a VERY loud voice!" Well, no changes there then over the past 12 years. (Never mind Anni, we wouldn't have you any other way!)

We celebrated yesterday with a dinner party for Anni and seven of her friends. Tom was a waiter, albeit a rather reluctant and slightly grouchy one.

You couldn't imagine how much noise could come from eight beautifully dressed 12 year olds. Well, actually maybe you can imagine only too well.

Before it ended, Uncle Buck decided that photocopying the bulletin was by far a preferable option.

I do think it was rather his fault though, having made them mock pink champagne cocktails which were pretty much half sugar in content. It was reminiscent of the one and only time we made the mistake of giving Tom a certain orange coloured fruit drink when he was five. Within minutes he stood on a chair, beat his chest, yelled "Yaaaaabbbbaaaaddddaaabbbaaaddoooooooooo" and ran up and down the room for 15 minutes.

Today was also mother's day of course so we had Nana to lunch. I really felt for her when I read her card, it must be hard to suddenly write just "Nana" after all those years of "Nana and Grandad" When I was shopping for food for the chocolate fountain, I came across a packet of Werthers originals (Dad's favourite sweets) and I nearly burst into tears in the middle of Tesco.

We also had a visit from Grandma, Aunty Helen, Aunty Judy and Annie-Rose, Phebe, Ruby and Euan. I said to Annabel, "Let's have a photo with your cousins on your birthday" to which Annie-Rose (next to Annabel in this photo) said, "Are we her cousins?" How cute!

Cousins are just wonderful, such a blessing! Hannah and Ella rang Anni this morning to sing happy birthday to her, which made her day. And Uncle Buck even took time out to introduce little Euan to Jack the turtle and got him to feed him to help him overcome his fear of him. He wouldn't go upstairs because the turtle (whose tank is under the stairs) was "too scary!!!"

Love Euan's new spiky hairdo!

The birthday girl has just had a bath with her YUM bath products from Rosie and is relaxing with Jacqueline Wilson's brilliant new book, her autobiography "Jacky Daydreams."

I feel brimming with thanks for Anni today. God's timing was so perfect with her. Any later would have been too late because of my cancer, but God knew that and gave us Anni just in time.