45

Had my birthday a few weeks ago – turned 45. How did that happen?
I know I’m getting older. The creeping aches and pains, and other signs, keep that in my mind. Somehow, though, I still have a corner of my brain that registers as “20-something”. It can sometimes be a shock to be confronted again with the truth!

I had a lovely, but low key day. We were holidaying on Bribie Island (not much for bright lights/big city…) Our school year has started a couple of weeks late, but we needed the break – we’re a lot calmer, and healthier, than we were before we left.

So, I started my birthday with a coffee at a bookshop/coffee place with free wifi. That’s a good way to start the day…
My boys both got me presents they thought I would like, and their choices were so different, and so them! Littlest bean had made sure he had a present before the day – he got me a white chocolate Freddo frog (and then kept checking back throughout the day to make sure I’d eaten it… ) Biggest boy waited till he saw me looking at a Celtic style ring at the Abbey Museum (the trip there was one of my birthday treats) He asked me if I liked it, and when I said “Yes”, took it and bought it for me. Hubby organised the day to include the things I wanted to do (and later added a heart necklace. Because he’s cool like that 😉 ) I didn’t get stacks of expensive presents – but each one was chosen and given with love, and tailored just for me. That makes them priceless 😀

We finished the day eating fish and chips by the beach, as the last of the sun streamed through the clouds.

birthday sunset

I couldn’t see the image until I downloaded it later – the light makes it hard to see the screen. But there – that gap in the clouds – that’s my birthday heart. I know it’s a bit vague – but it’s tailor made for me 😀

Published in: on February 22, 2014 at 9:48 pm  Comments (2)  
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14 Years and Bionicle Cakes

As per special request 😀 here’s the cake my oldest boy requested for his 14th birthday…

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It’s a bionicle being pulled in to a circuit board. Yeah, I know you probably didn’t get that…
It’s an ice cream cake, the easiest of all cakes – just upend a tub of ice cream and decorate! Seemed to go down well.. 😀
We had six teenage boys sleeping over and playing x-box on Saturday night. It all went well (if a little loud..) Biggest boy got himself a new (used) mini laptop, too, with money he’d saved and our top-up gift – he’s pleased.. Time to settle down again, until littlest bean turns 10 in September!

Published in: on March 19, 2013 at 9:56 pm  Leave a Comment  
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The Birthday Girl Reflects..

I’ve had a lovely day… out to lunch with hubby, cake and icecream later with family and a friend who dropped round… feeling loved 😀

I was woken up this morning with pressies from my boys..

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😀

My Mum came over to babysit while we went out to Fasta Pasta for Fettucine Mona Lisa, and gave me two cupcake holders…

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Now I’ll have to make some cupcakes! (I’ve just seen a recipe for chocolate cupcakes with buttercream icing..)

Out for lunch, dropped in to the Lifeline store in Jacaranda St.. got a footrest – tried to post a picture, but my computer won’t let me..

A friend came round yesterday to bring me a cake she’d made me.. a sort of upside down banana caramel cake.. yum!

(I was planning to insert another photo here.. can’t 😦 )

… and another lovely friend dropped round to help us eat it..

I’ve still had study to do, but I’ve taken it easy today… more to do the rest of the week, but I wanted to enjoy my birthday.

 

On this day last year, we were moving out of our old house, on the start of our journey through homelessness/couchsurfing, back to a lovely house and a new year of possibilities..
It’s been a bit of a year..
We learned a lot – about ourselves, about our family.. friends.. about the faithfulness of God toward us. We were unsure of what was ahead, we were sometimes in discomfort… but never alone, and never in despair..
We found out who our friends were – and we learned, or rediscovered, that there are people out there who really do live out their lives in God’s way, with His heart.. quietly “being Christian” because that’s who they are, not for accolades or rewards. I don’t use proper names on this blog, so I won’t name them… but you should know who you are 😀 – thanks for inspiring us to live well, with compassion and love!

It’s been a year… I wouldn’t change it for anything..

Published in: on February 4, 2013 at 10:31 pm  Comments (2)  
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9

It was my sweetest not-so-little bean’s birthday yesterday… he turned nine. How did he get so tall? 😀 We had the birthday party on Saturday at Joseph Brady Park, at Barellan Point… obviously shaping up to be a popular party spot, since we shared the space with three other parties…

We sort of had a plan… I don’t know what happened to it.. The boys played happily on the play equipment, then spent time sliding down the steep hill, then ate, then back to playing. Simple, and fun…

Here’s the hill… you can’t quite see the extent of it.. someone kindly left some cardboard, which was well used… 😀

The largest piece of play equipment. I was wearing a skirt on Saturday, but next time I might wear jeans, and have a go..

Candles can be hard to light when you’re at a windy park by the river.. got there in the end!
*note to self – when making buttercream icing, caster sugar does not equal icing sugar.. adding milk to try and smooth it out may not be the best solution… still tasted good, though!

Happy birthday, Sweet Boy, to whom the whole world consists of friends waiting to be met, and who can’t get himself a biscuit at his party without counting to make sure all his friends will get one as well…. You have a beautiful and loving heart..

…even if you are still a cheeky monkey! 😀

Published in: on September 11, 2012 at 10:00 am  Comments (1)  
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