Birthdays x 3

Yesterday we celebrated at a party for Iona. I’m glad I was able to join the party and by the end of the evening, I was actually feeling more stable. I’m getting good at not looking up, down or to the side! Jon, the boys and I went back to mum’s after the party. Mollie and Josh stayed at the Premier Inn in Ware so only had a 2 minute walk back. I managed to sleep sitting propped up again, and didn’t wake to any spinning this morning , so that is 2 days running now, so that was good.

Jon woke first and had jobs at mums to do all morning. Two sheds had lost roofing felt in the wind, so that needed replacing, plus a drawer in the kitchen has been broken for a long while, and Jon has adjusted an old drawer from our old units to fit it. Meanwhile I got up and had a go at getting mum’s computer to work. After an hour or so, I managed to get into it, and began to delete over 300 unnecessary downloads, and started to organise the documents and photos etc into rough folders. I ran out of time, but will pick up there next time I am down in Hoddesdon. I am no computer expert so may still need to ask someone with proper computer knowledge to have a look at it, but will do what I can to get it going faster. We really just need it as a word processor, so I am pretty sure I can get it to speed up once I identify all the stored cookies etc

From mums at 1pm we drove to Manda’s for a piece of birthday cake with Iona - on her actual birthday. The family as a whole looked a bit hung over - Cameron thought he got to bed at about 2am - I was in bed by 12! They definitely had a good night. Iona looked radiant as ever. Tea and cake consumed and we left mum, to join Manda’s family for a birthday lunch out, and we headed up the A10 to Jon’s parents to say another Happy Birthday - this time to his dad John. Fortunately we arrived at the same time as Jenny & her family, so we were able to have a proper family get together. More tea and more cake! What else on a multiple birthday day!

You are wondering about the 3rd birthday of the day? Well a huge happy birthday must also be sent to my Aunty Rhonda who is celebrating her 90th birthday today in Surrey with her family. I’m sure dad would have loved to have been able to wish his baby sister a 90th birthday so I’m doing it on his behalf - what amazing genes those Howard siblings inherited! They definitely took after their mum, who lived to 93. May Rhonda go on to celebrate many more happy birthdays and hopefully we will be able to share in some of those in the future. 27th February is certainly a crowded date in the Howard/Gibbs/Dixon family calendar! I worked out that between the 3 of them they are 187 today!

We finally left Melbourn at about 5, stopping at McDonalds on the way for something to eat. We should be home at about 8 or just before. Thanks Jon for driving and carrying out a load of essential jobs for everyone. You are appreciated x