Mum also shares her b'day with her cousin Graeme.
So I asked  Nicole if she would mind babysitting so I could join Mum and Graeme and a few others at The Vines in Redwoodtown for a dinner celebration.

She popped over the river at 6pm and I left her to enjoy pizza with the children and get them off to bed.

We were at the restaurant before Graeme arrived.
When he came in and was taking stock of who was all there he spotted me and asked,
'How is Paul?'
I laughed and told him to get his glasses on!
He took a lot of convincing that I was not Ruth.
Then he proceeded to tell me that I looked heaps better than when he last saw me.
Men!
He was digging himself such a big hole and he didn't know when to stop digging!!
So I asked,
'So do I look better than the last time you saw Ruth or the last time you saw Raewyn?'

Finally all 12 of us were there and we ordered and enjoyed a lovely meal.
Graeme's daughter Diana and I were the youngest there so we sat and got to know each other better.
Quite cool being the youngest at a gathering when I am normally these days the oldest!

Jill had bought along some fancy cupcakes.
There were two candles.
There was a lot of discussion - mainly from Graeme - as to how they were each going to blow out their own candle without contaminating the other with their germs


Happy 79th Birthday Lesley.
Happy 68th Birthday Graeme.


We were not too late home which was good cuz we were both tired.
Nicole said the children were good but had tried to make the bedtime stories last longer to delay their sleeping time!

I was up early Thursday and had the beds made and everything packed in good time.
While Mum & the children had their breakfast....

I took photos of Mum's b'day flowers.
They were all so pretty.

These were the ones her bro Lloyd gave to her at dinner.
You can see them standing in the beer mug on the table behind Mum & Graeme above.
Lloyd had asked his French wwoofer to gather some flowers from the garden for him - he was very impressed with how lovely they looked.


These flowers arrived at in the morning by courier from a friend of Mums.
The children had lots of fun arranging them in the vase.


When we got home from lunch this bouquet was sitting at the front door.
It is so pretty.


Another friend had also given Mum these roses.
They were getting a wee bit past it but still very beautiful and Azzan loved the way you can see them and the garden outside.


We gave Mum this big portrait of our family taken while we were in Melbourne.
We had fun choosing where it was going to go.
I moved various pictures around the living room until Mum was happy with the results



We were finally all loaded up and ready to go before 9am.
I had to negotiate the trailer
So picking up the ice creams was a longer process than usual.
Cuz I am out of practise with backing it I ended up driving right around the block to get back onto the main road again.
Then we spotted cherries for sale.
I was not in a place where I could safely stop so I kept my eyes open for another sign.
Saw another sign so turned off to find it.
It was right at the end of a no exit road so I had a lot of difficulty fun turning it around.
Got cherries - hellishly expensive but I wasn't leaving empty handed after going all that far out of my way and then getting stuck with the trailer.
Got back on the road again.
Next stops were all in Havelock.
Ray loaded the trailer with rope, he directed my backing and turning around which made it easier.
I managed to find enough spaces along the main road to park up while I ran back and picked up the mail and got some pies from the Wakamarina Cafe.

Then it was another quick stop at Rai Valley.
According to Mahalia they make the BEST sausage rolls so she won't eat them from anywhere else if she has a choice.

I let the children out for a run around the playground at Okiwi Bay but they were soon ready to get back in the car again.
Mahalia is beginning to weight bear on her foot but it is still very tender.
The day was very hot and the road dusty.
I was reminded how much I hate to drive home druing the day and why I much prefer driving in the evening or night.

We left the trailer at the top of the hill and went down to Waterfall bay to unload stuff.
Had a cool drink and chat with Jenny & David and then puddled off home.
Everyone was out working so we unloaded and then got dinner ready.
Alois & Toad went out kayaking.
Anson was busy getting ready for his trip to town today.
Graham was also loading up his trailer ready to head away too.
We managed to have dinner at 6:30pm.
Amazing
I was pushing for an early eat cuz we were all tired.
It was very pleasant to climb into bed at 9:30pm after a relaxing soak in the spa with Tim.