Birthday celebrations...

DH organised a family get together to celebrate my birthday. I didn't have to cook as everyone was bringing food...how wonderful! 

We set up two tables on the veranda and DH brought out the extra folding chairs which we store downstairs. 

I washed all the rugs and quilts so that our guests could wrap up in them if they felt cold. I first saw this idea in Queenstown NZ where restaurants would put throws over the back of chairs in the outdoor dining areas. We saw the same thing in France last year too. 

A few of my guests were unable to come due to illness...there are a lot of nasty virus infections around here at the moment. The cousin who was allocated to bringing the pre dinner nibblies forgot them...so I quickly put together some cheeses and crackers on a platter...

My brother took over the job of cooking the meat on the barbeque, assisted by my gorgeous (and extremely tall) nephew...

Then it was time to eat...

What a spread everyone brought!

Maximo, my niece's little boy, reminded us a little later on that there was a cake...and he had been waiting patiently while we all sat around chatting.

I put one candle on my birthday cake but my brother had come prepared...he had a bag of candles which he proceeded to put on the cake!

The cake was delicious...Apple and chocolate. My brother's partner was asked for the recipe by everyone! 

Sadly the date of my birthday is also the anniversary of when DH's eldest brother was killed in a plane crash. This year marks 25 years since that fatal crash. Keith was the Mayor of Cairns and the small plane was carrying local government representatives from North Queensland back home from a local government conference at Airlie Beach. The plane crashed to the west of Cairns and there were no survivors.

 Keith's daughter commented on Facebook today that despite it being 25 years, it still hurts. She shared this photo of her dad...