All together

Backblip of everyone with empty plates (a thumbs up for LH's magnificent stint in the kitchen all morning) and plenty of cheer.  We had, of course, over catered (hard to judge appetites of the older contingent and some of the younger lot had had work celebrations too on Friday!) so it will be fridge bits for the foreseeable future.

Extras of present exchanges and card games!

The whole day was just as it should be. My MIL had her whole family with her and coped really well.  I'm afraid being elderly and the matriarch didn't spare her during the evening's silly card games though, which is just as she likes it!  I received a special thank you from her for the photo album I put together which makes all the sweat of doing it worthwhile.

All things considered, it couldn't have been better :-)