Crazy 40th Birthday !

Well Merry Christmas blog readers!  I hope you had a wonderful time shared with friends and/or family.  December is always a crazy time around the Richmond/Turner household.  Largely because there are also 6 family birthdays in the same month!  SO I generally just hand everyone my chequebook from December's paycheques and have at 'er !!

But this year was a little unusual as it was .... my ...... 40th BIRTHDAY !!!!  YAHOOOOOOO !!!!

Now I realize that 'yahoo' might not be the most normal reaction to someone's 40th birthday but I was PUMPED to turn 40.  Crazy I know.  Especially as I was bummed out to turn 30.  But there are a few differences.  At 30 I was pregnant with my second baby and had only just started a regular exercising routine 2 years before when my son was born.  I wasn't as fit as I am now at 40.  I was healthy, but not as fit.  And I feel like I became myself in my 30's so now at 40 I am who I was meant to be.  As I started my 30's there was still that sense of "but who will I become?.....will I be successful?  will I be anything other than what I am right now?" 

But now at 40 I feel like I am my whole-self.  I love my life and am completely happy and at peace about who I am and what I do.  I feel like I've found a good balance between family, work and social life.  And the ironic thing is ..... I still have the exact same job I did when I turned 30 !!!  Or at least the same type of job with the same employer (UVIC).  But I am a woman who is thrilled to be the mother of the most wonderful 2 children in the world, married to the most wonderful man in the world, and who has the most wonderful friends in the world.  Who could want more than that?

Ok.  Well perhaps to be picked up from shopping at the mall on my birthday by a limousine to bring me home?  Yep.  Darrell planned that one.  40 years old and I just had my first limo ride !  It was great fun.  And a beautiful dinner to follow.  I think from now on, whenever I go shopping in the Boxing week sales, I want to be picked up in a limousine........

I hope and pray that 2011 brings you health, happiness and an understanding of how much God loves you.

Happy New Year to you all !!

This free digital collage personalized with Smilebox

British Invasion Sweets & Goods - on Facebook!

My sister's store - unlike me! - is on Facebook!  So sign up to become a Fan of British Invasion Sweets and Goods.  And if you're anywhere near Peachland on Christmas Eve, pop in for some mulled wine from 10am until 2pm!

Christmas Moments....

I absolutely love Christmas.  I love the carols on the radio, the Christmas cookie exchanges, the delightful English goodies I only afford myself at this time of year and every musical and dramatic performance my children perform in.



The 'Happy Couple' - hahaha!!

The 'Other Happy Couple' !!



The boys hanging the outside lights

 Last night we had the kids school Christmas concert and this morning went to Brooklyn's participation in her Class's presentation at the Friday morning chapel. We picked up my Mum Wednesday night at the airport so i am feeling completely comforted and Christmasy.

 



 



The Christmas Season is Upon Us!

A snowfall that sent us home from work/school half a day early, 4 1/2 dozen mincemeat tarts in the oven, and my Christmas village and Nativity Set all up on display.

YEP!  It's officially the Christmas season at our house!

Nanoose Bay Fundraiser

Last night we had a great evening at the Fireside Grill where Darrell and other Sports Staff members organized a Fundraiser Dinner for Nanoose Bay Camp where we volunteer every summer.  The restaurant was full - 112 people! - and we had a great band, wonderful food and a presentation about the camp's future and immediate needs.  So I made a cake that was a replica of the chapel.  Anyone recognize it?

A Halloween Masterpiece

Ok.  I have to admit it.  I think this could be my favourite Halloween costume ever.  Zachary and Brooklyn will argue about whose idea it was originally, but no-one can dispute the fact that Zachary made it.  He drew it, then painted it and then Darrell put together some baseboard for the frame.

Tee hee !  Good painting Zachary !!!!

Brooklyn went as Lola, Hannah Montana's friend.

The master painter hard at work on his creation:

Our fellow trick-or-treaters - Caveman Brendan, Cindy-Lou Chloe and Mr. T. Andrew

UVIC'S lipdub!

If you're familiar with this YouTube phenomenon, here is UVIC's (Victoria's) latest one!

"Air-Guitar" and a precious Good-Bye

So my new airbrush might be my new favourite thing ever.

I did a cake order this weekend for a little boy's birthday and it was an electric guitar (which fit very well as the boy's Dad is a bit of a rockstar!)

The airbrush was so fun to use on this project.  You can see more pictures on the cake website to the right but here is a taster:

The weird dichotomy of the weekend was that on the same day the cake was due, we had Omie's burial and memorial service.  Omie is Darrell's Grandma on his Mum's side and she was a gem of a woman.  She left a legacy of 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren!!! Standing at graveside was quite a sight to see all of these people who were really only here because Omie was.  And Omie loved the Lord.  Her catchphrase was "God loves you and so do I!"

I was asked to sing at the memorial and I deliberately sang while looking at the ceiling and once even out the window to the street!  I knew that if I looked at anyone and saw them crying that I wouldn't be able to get through it.  Darrell's cousin Brian gave a wonderful eulogy and then we all went into the gym for the reception tea.

She will be missed but she's now dancing in heaven with everyone here on earth, richer for knowing her.

New Purchase for Cake Business !!!

V-E-R-Y excited about a purchase I just made last week.

AN AIRBRUSH !!!  YAYYYY..... It's a PAASCHE airbrush (same one used by Duff on Ace of Cakes) and I can't wait to try it out on my next project.  Which, incidentally, is an electric guitar cake.  Keep posted on my cakes website for an update with a photograph.

This opens up a whole new realm of what I'm about to do with cake decorating.  Very cool early Christmas present.

You Go Girl!

Last night we had the privilege of watching Brooklyn play in her first ever basketball game!  She joined the night league through school with her friend so they play for the PCS Pacers Grade 4/5 team.  Except she and her friend are the only grade 4's on there and neither one has ever played before !

We were so proud - and surprised - Brooklyn is TOUGH!  She kept looking left to right to make sure she was on her check, she ran down the court dribbling while holding out her arm to guard off her opponent, and whenever another girl tried to grab the ball from her you should have seen her grit her teeth!  She almost looked mad she was so intense!  It was hilarious to watch and good to see her getting a more cardiovascular workout than the dance classes can provide.  At this point the tall girls are the only ones who stand a chance at shooting at the net but it was fun to see them give their best out there.

And Zachary's football team is in full swing.  They are so fun to watch because the skill level at this age is really quite good.  We were very proud of him; after about 4 tryouts he made the Gold team for his age category.  So a higher calibre but still no travelling further than Metchosin so suits us just fine.  It's just so neat to see them make plays that are thought out.  And this is where Zachary is quite good; he has a head for the game and where ball placement should take place to produce the most scoring opportunities.  Little athletes........ahhhh........

Tea Anyone?

On Wednesday of this week my Grandma turned 90.  NINETY ! Amazing.  She and my Grandad (93) still live on their own in a Sidney apartment and go downstairs to the communal dining room for lunch and dinner.

For her birthday my aunt flew in from Alberta and was joined by myself and Brooklyn and 2 of my Grandma's friends as we took the birthday girl to the Empress hotel for Afternoon Tea.  Shockingly, despite being English (which almost makes this tradition seem like a birthright....) I had never been to the Empress for tea.  But at $55 a person, I'm sure you can understand why.

It was absolutely delightful.  The food was delicious, the tea hot and steeped just like it should be and the table settings were impeccable.  And Brooklyn had the 'Princess Tea' on her own 2 tiered china platter!!  It was sooooo cute and she was so excited to go.  (Half-way through our time she whispered to me "I thought old people would be really boring but their stories are quite hilarious aren't they Mum?"..... haha)

Have you ever had tea 'adorned' with Pringles ??

Brooklyn and my Auntie Celia

This was Brooklyn's plate but we all received an individual jam jar.

Everything on Brooklyn's plate was mini; mini scones, mini sandwiches etc.  It was absolutely adorable.  And everyone was given a box of Empress Tea to take home with us at the end of the 90 minutes we spent there.  Not to mention the lovely tones coming from the pianist in the lobby.



Flowers from my sister



The birthday girl

Last Boating Days....

Our boat has now been pulled out of the water, and Darrell is busy polishing it and winterizing it before we pull it out again next April or May.  So here is out last set of photos from a day trip with our friend Kristy, to our weekend at Deer Harbour, U.S.A. with our kids and then Poet's Cove last weekend with the kids and their friends Liam and Trinity.



Deer, Harbour, U.S.A.  I just had to take a picture of this vignette, so Americana and a nod to a time when life was simpler.



So here is out last set of photos from a day trip with our friend Kristy, to our weekend at Deer Harbour, U.S.A. last weekend with our kids and their friends Liam and Trinity.