Clay people, a new home and a birthday

It's 3.44am and I haven't slept a wink yet. I gave up trying an hour ago. The dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer are whirring now and I've started to attack the ironing pile. Amongst other things (such as one's husband's incessant snoring) I have concluded that even one cup of coffee in the evening affects my sleep. So that's why I'm blogging in the wee small hours. You'd think I'd be tired: I got up early and went to the market to pick up Anni's school blazer, then drove to Northampton to spent the day with my sisters-in-law Gill and Helen before coming home via Stretton. After lunch we took 12 children to Stanwick Lakes so that they could wade in mud (the five on the right are my nieces):

They ended up looking like the Clay People from Flash Gordon and Hannah wasn't too sure about this at first. She is used to being neat and tidy with everything matching from her hairclips to her socks. But when it was time to go, she wanted to mud bathe some more.

Interestingly enough the boys opted to stay clean (as well as Anni and Lizzie of course). I just had to get a shot of Hannah-the-clay-person next to her cousin Euan-the-persil-advert.

After these antics we went on to visit Ann and Jon who finally moved north today. Our friends Phil and Liz and their children Michael and Danielle live nearby to Ann and Jon's new house and had been helping them to unpack. They'd all worked so hard that it looked as if they'd been living there a week already. Today was also Ann's birthday so we had a celebratory Chinese takeaway. So this is the housewarming photo in Ann and Jon's new lounge.

I have to tell you that my brother-in-law Jon is an all round top bloke. When I was going through chemotherapy 13 years ago, he and Ann used to come over some weekends and help us out with the children. Jon used to sleep in the lounge and look after Anni when she woke up at unearthly hours in the winter mornings like a little ice cube and keep her warm and cosy. And he buys his wife flowers and writes lovely things on cards! (Hint hint dear husband next time you read my blog).
Anyway, here's wishing Ann and Jon a happy new home here in the frozen north, it's great to have them nearer.

All the machines have stopped whirring and hopefully so has my brain. I'm off to bed now and who knows, maybe the snoring will have stopped too....