Cousins. Plus the new one

(from left to right:) Our Joel and Gemma, and from Australia: my niece Naomi and her brand new husband Nathan. With a tiny bit of Tess behind Joel (but she's in loads of my photos so I'm not worried about her!)
Gemma and Joel will hate me for this one. In fact Joel has already seen it and hates it because he's the big face in the foreground. But I love the way they all lined up.
And I love that, despite Naomi's fractured pelvis, Gemma's train being cancelled and us all being a bit short of time, we managed to get everyone together - however briefly, before Tess had to go for her swimming lesson, Naomi and Nathan went to do other things and Gemma had to go back to Exeter.

It was a gorgeous, gorgeous day again. Richard and I went off to town in the morning to find something for Richard to give me for my birthday tomorrow. We dragged Joel along too because it turns out he has Mondays off college (I thought it was a full time course! ), and he heard the words 'go for lunch' and wasn't going to be left out.

We met Naomi and Nathan for lunch. The table for 6 became a table for 5 when we found out Gemma's train had been mysteriously cancelled - which was a total bummer. Lunch was a bit lacking too because the restaurant was short-staffed and was therefore running a limited menu. But we had a laugh.

After lunch Richard, Joel and I went and sat at the station and waited for Gemma to arrive on a later train. Then we all went home for tea and cake in the garden while we waited for Tess to finish school, and Gemma surprised me with an amazing picture she's drawn for me for my birthday. I'm so overwhelmed and delighted with it. She's drawn bees and butterflies and flowers which she knows I love ... well it's just gorgeous and all the more gorgeous because it was done by her for me. Then we popped down to Putsborough beach for an hour or so where Gemma half-buried Tess and turned her into a sand mermaid and Tess talked bollocks incessantly, and Nathan fell asleep so Naomi filled his pants with sand. Awww... newlyweds... So sweet...

Naomi and Nathan stayed with us Weds, Thurs, Fri last week (which I haven't filled in blip entries for yet), and I've convinced them they need to come and stay again tomorrow for my birthday. Tess is insisting she sees more of them too before they leave.