Forty

Yesterday I had a big birthday. It was quite possibly the best one ever. All day family, friends, food, treats, and the best thought out personal presents.

Emily, my lovely sister has recently discovered a flair for cake decorating and with each birthday she has made us beautiful personalised birthday cakes.  She arrived with the family in tow and one of her big white cake boxes. What would mine be? Something lamp related maybe? 

It was my big armchair and my cats! Absolute genius! 

My Mum made me a gorgeous quilt for Christmas and all I have been doing since Christmas is sitting under it and my cats, chilling and reading and recharging my batteries so it was perfectly fitting. 

And Emily recreated my quilt in ICING! Soooo clever.

Here's my Dad and the cat boys having the quilt experience...

...and here's my Dad forty years ago with his little newborn me!

Later on the evening Robert took 'pass the parcel' to a whole new level! Little did I know that for the last two months he has been tracking down my old far away friends, most of whom he hasn't even met. With every layer of the parcel one of them would leave a message or poem and perhaps a photo from years passed. 

There were tears and belly laughs as we passed the parcel, not knowing who would pop out next. There were sweets too, just like the ones I remember from all those childhood birthday parties. It was altogether brilliant. Robert my love you are so beautifully thoughtful and have such fantastic ideas!

I like 40 already. A nice round number and the beginning of a new decade for me. Nice to be setting out into it surrounded by such a tremendous bunch of people.

I feel so very loved.