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A rainy Bank Holiday and we went to Coughton Court for a walk and afternoon "coffee and cake". This wooden grandfather clock was in the Bluebell Woods. Having found this we set off around the woods, following a path that just stopped and meant that we ended up tramping through the undergrowth until we found it again! Wasn't exactly the rainforest but still amusing.

Coffee and cake was rather delicious, and I was complimented on my hair plaiting skills by a random stranger!

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I've finally found some whimsical ducks for the bath. And I do know, as kindly pointed out by my son,  that they're supposed to have umbrellas but it's taken me 3 years to find these ones so just go with it! 

11.56 miles completed today and an ice bath followed, supervised by a small monkey in grey trousers who decided to stand on the door! 

And that completed my 100 miles in the holidays challenge. 

 Other smiles today:

The female hockey team won the European Cup against the Netherlands and got so excited that they swarmed around Matthew Pinsent (who I rather like!) at the end.

A proper roast dinner for the first time in ages! 

Time Crashers was amusing. 

My boys are such good mimics. Just wish I understood all their jokes! (I obviously watch different programmes!) 

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More owl spotting today around the Bullring.

Some of the owls look just as good from the back! 

I particularly liked this owl that is full of hopes for the future. Some wonderful aspirations including finding a cure for cancer and skydiving over the Bahamas!

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A folder with my name on it - must be at least 22 years old! 

And a gift with my name on. Thank you for the chocolates, Chris and Jenny. I hope you had a very special wedding day. 

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A lovely pootle around Lichfield as Isaac had a guitar lesson. Beautiful even when the sky is grey!

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TimeHop strikes again! This made me laugh! Wonder who'd be on it now?

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One happy boy with a new watch. And a special Mondaine one too. 

One not so happy boy as the school playground gets covered with temporary classrooms. 

Smiles as Greg Rutherford completed a golden hat trick with Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah. 

And we all enjoyed Educating Wales, especially the small boy snooping outside the SLT meeting!

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Can't recall who shared these happy stones but I like them. 

Update - thanks to Tina for sharing her smiley stone collection.

Enjoyed Only Connect - who knew that Makka Pakka was a palaeontologist ;)

And Bear Grylls with Miranda Hart was brilliant. That man is just lovely. Hard as nails but so sweet!

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I ran 9.8 miles today - and it wasn't slow either. That made me smile :)

The icy cold bath afterwards made me wince but the reaction of some people on RMR to me being in the bath clothed made me smile. 

And perhaps I am letting down women everywhere by admitting this but it made me smile when I was 'beeped' by three carloads of lads whilst out running.

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A new PB for park run this morning by 11 seconds! Mo took the shine off it by running twice as far 5 seconds quicker... But still proud of myself! 

Lovely day - I was quite enjoying sunbathing this afternoon. Then, in a short rumble, it went from bright hot sun to pouring with rain. And that was the end of sunbathing!

A successful shopping trip for school shoes, trousers and folders for the boys too, especially as it prompted a visit to Under Pressure to recover! 

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Lovely run this morning with the TwinCR summer faithful. We came across lots if ponies, more than I've ever seen in one place before so I snapped a few! 

Further smiles:

I may have solved the great trouser crisis.

The house is clean. 

I haven't lost my house keys as I had feared. 

More dot to dot fun. 

Having a very funny family! 

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Very proud of Isaac. Not just for his exam. results but for much more than that! Someone posted a list of things that exams don't measure and he's many of those things. Although not sure about his kestrel training abilities! ;)

Thanks also to Debbie for the Prosecco themed smiles! 

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Thanks to Erzsi and Doug for sending smiles today:

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First run in my new vest for the Oxford Half Marathon. 

Saw two fluffy bunnies hopping around the park. 

Gave someone directions. 

Washing finally all done (8 loads which is what happens when you go away leaving a neatly full washing basket!)

Ironing nearly all done. 

Caught up with Bake Off. 

If you want to sponsor me for #OxfordHalf in support of The Haemophilia Society, my fundraising page is here. http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LisaStevensOxfordHalfMarathon

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Missing Switzerland today so a picture from the top of a mountain of a smiley rock!

And a sheep

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If I had daughters I'd want them to be happy, bright, funny, fearless and loving. Just like my special little girlie friends L and H who always make me smile and giggle. Love them to the sky and back, and miss them already x 

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Survived a trip over the Furkapass completely covered by clouds - that was nerve wracking in a different way!

Visited my favourite shop. 

Saw a large gorilla Im Viadukt. 

And enjoyed watching 'Roly Mow' cutting the grass on the football pitches beside the Holiday Inn Messe. 

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Running along the raging river in the drizzle, I kept meeting gnomes. Amusing. Didn't enjoy falling over but that's par for the course, and I did get a lift back up the mountain after my run along with a takeaway coffee (I deemed myself too damp and muddy to drink in)

Cows, waterfalls and pretty bridges this afternoon in Binn.

And an amusing discussion about sheep testicles with the boys. 

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An early start to head off to Zermatt and the Gornergrat. Beautiful gobsmacking scenery. And so tranquil. 

Nice to see the Matterhorn with just a few wisps of cloud obscuring it - worry the early start! 

John continued to amuse with his need to photograph everything and clamber over rocks into ledges and scare me silly. 

And the boys continue to amuse with their irreverent comments about all and sundry. A conversation about apple cake had us crying with laughter at dinner time! 

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Today's adventure was in Bettmeralp and Bettmersee. 

Pedalo fun. 

Running up and around the top of a mountain...

...and then jumping in the lake to cool

down. 

Great fun had by all - and I survived another two cable car journeys! 

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Photos of smiles from a day on top of  the Eggishorn, through the Eggishorn and around to Marjelensee. 

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A day at the thermal baths in the mountains. Big smiles. Especially as arriving meant that I'd survived another set of hairy high hairpins. Good job I trust my husband and his driving! Would've been nicer if the sun had come out from behind clouds more than twice but with multiple pummelling pools at 44 degrees and comfy seats I wasn't going to moan. 

And opening the bottle of Prosecco I was given last week made me smile this evening! 

More mountain adventures await tomorrow! 

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A scramble down to the village followed by a run down the river before I scrambled back up so slowly that Runkeeper kept pausing!

And a Swiss storm mid morning delighted us and made me so thankful that I wasn't on the cable car that stopped at least three times on the way down as lightning flashed across the sky.

A beautiful afternoon in Ernen - a proper Swiss village that stages a music festival in August each year (we heard the rehearsals) and is the home town of Patrizia Kummer, Olympic snowboarder. 

And we loved the helmets on the posts of this garden fence. 

And a delicious dinner at a very posh restaurant. Unaccustomed to being sent amuse bouches and petit fours - but could get used to it!