Day 12 and the cavelry arrived - or shall we call it carnage?

The day started early - Cinders here was up at 7am hoovering and tidying ready for the visitors.  I also managed to rustle up a multi seed loaf and some banana muffins for tomorrow - us servents need to think ahead.  Around 9 the invalid arrived looking and sounding much better and we began to think about breakfast - when my cousin, Jo, and her husband Ian and children Jenny and Matthew arrived.  Consequently "breakfast" was a lovely piece of panettone around 11 when my brother, Phil, and his wife, Chris, arrived - complete with their small dog Bonnie and puppy Penny ( named after Penfold I am told). Four dogs with the puppy feeling as if she had the upper hand and it was carnage!

I was really pleased with Millie's reaction to the puppy though - bodes well for the future- and pleased to see her settling down. You would never have seen her being stroked by Jenny in the past!

The brown bread was for lunch - the recipe called for a camembert cheese wrapped in pancetta ( we only had bacon) and then wrapped in the dough.  I was dubious but it worked out really well - although the bacon needed further cooking so we will have that for tea - and we served it with the leek and potato soup.

Then it was present time - the dogs were banished to their beds and the chaos started.  As I said before, we opened one present at a time so the whole process lasted around two hours.  Of course it is now time to reveal the mystery presents that caused me such pain - they are called bionic gear bags and have 4 zipped compartments and 5 pockets.  Let's just say that they went down well.

I made a lap quilt for my sister in law which she loved and my brother was bowled over by his collection of Dr Who signatures that Mum and Dad gave him - a student of mine managed to collect them for me.

The afternoon finished with a present from my brother Graham - blue crackers with fox masks to make up and then a video needs to be sent of us doing something with a ball to celebrate Leicester City's current success ( don't ask!)

So - onto tonight - it's our Christmas meal and exchanging the home made crackers that we have made.  It's over meals like this that the challenges are set for presents tomorrow - gulp!