Monday 23 March 2009

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!


me just over 1 year old

yesterday, in celebration of my 50th birthday, the kids and i planned to take a drive up to mount tamborine for a family day out. i was shocked when we arrived at my brother's house instead. there were quite a few happy tears shed when the realisation hit me. little had i known that michelle and my sister-in-law had secretly planned a surprise birthday party for me at my brother's house which happened to be on the way to mount tamborine. the kids did a fantastic job at keeping it all hidden from me. what an AMAZING day it was too!!! i don't think i have ever felt so pampered and spoiled.

another huge surprise was that my brother organised for steve and lee to be there too. i haven't seen them in 28 years! steve and i were co-workers way back then and it was so lovely to see them again. i hope it won't be as long before i see them again.

i had to giggle seeing myself in plaits/braids at my 50th birthday party! as mentioned, i was under the impression we were going for a drive up to mount tamborine. on country drives like that, i usually tie my hair back because the boys always wind the car windows down and my hair gets blown to pieces. lol

some of the photos didn't turn out too well with a lot of light glare behind. it was our fault as we were under the shade of the pergola with the light behind us. guess the cameras got confused. lol ah well, still wonderful memories to have. there was quite a few cameras in use which explains why we aren't always looking in the same direction either. lol



me with the kids
click on any image to enlarge it


with mum and dad


with deb and bill (my brother)


with my niece, her boyfriend, and my nephews


with maureen, my cousin on my dad's side, and bob, my uncle on my mum's side.
they are married to each other.


with lee and steve


it was the best birthday EVER!!!


MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

check out the size of this mutant strawberry all the way from california!!!
it's almost as big as aaron's hand!!

love, light and peace

35 comments:

  1. Wow, that's some strawberry! But I especially enjoyed your birthday photos. What a great surprise party. Happy Birthday, Serena!

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  2. I'm so happy you enjoyed yourself!!! I would be scared of that strawberry!!

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  3. Happy Birthday Serena! Wonderful pictures! Glad you had a great day!

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  4. Oh what a beautiful child you were Serena and now such a beautiful woman...inside and out!

    It looks like it was a lovely surprise celebration...and you're just so cute in those braids (plaits)!

    Happy Birthday and believe me it just gets better and better.

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  5. Happy Birthday, Serena! You look more like 30 than 50! Great photos.

    That strawberry is freaky looking, isn't it? LOL!

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  6. You look great! Happy 50th, that's a BIG one, now on to the wonderful second half of your life. What a fine way to celebrate...Joy and blessings, Olivia

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  7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ... looks like you had a wonderful day Serena! ((hugs))Maria xoxo

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  8. Ooooo... it looks very luscious and juicy.

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  9. You look radiant glad to know you enjoyed every minute of your big day.

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  10. Happy birthday!! I enjoyed your photos, what a wonderful surprise for you! Some strawberry!

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  11. ooooh congratulations serena what a fabulous celebration and a fabulous family you must have .. congratulations again :):)

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  12. mutant strawberry!! :p

    What a nice surprise and everyone looks so happy together!

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  13. What a fantastic surprise!! Looks like you had the best time! so happy for you on your big day!!

    Also--never have seen a strawberry that huge--mutant or not! hehe! :)

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  14. Great photos! Happy birthday! That sure is some strawberry.

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  15. Happy Birthday honey! May health. abundance, love, success, creativity, joy shower every single day of your life :)

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  16. Where on earth did you get that strawberry!!! It looks scary!! Did Aaron end up eating it?

    I am so happy you liked your surprise and had a great day.

    Luv Shell xx

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  17. What a wonderful surprise!
    Happy birthday! :)

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  18. Wonderful photos of you and all the gang. You are just too cute and way to young looking to be 50..rock on girl...

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  19. LOL...that strawberry! I would be afraid to eat it!

    Happy b-day! How cute are you with those braids!? Here's to 50 more :)

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  20. What a beautiful family! Happiest of birthday wishes to you Serena...may the next 50 be filled with peace and joy and memories sweet!

    Unbelieveably just minutes ago I posted my interpretation of your sweet resting buddha on my blog for Tuesday here: http://waterblossoms.blogspot.com/2009/03/resting-buddha.html
    And...I came to leave you this message only to find out it's your special day! Talk about a serendipitious moment! WOW!

    All the best! :)

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  21. What a great way to mark your 50th! A very Happy Birthday Serena!

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  22. Hi, Happy Birthday!

    I just found your blog and I love it! (Linked through thezeninyou)

    Love your tattoo! I've been painting a lot of spiral designs during intuitive "doodle-time" as I call it (when I just feel like painting something and grab some brushes ag go at it) I did not know the celtic meaning behind that particular spiral design which has been showing up over and over again in my work lately. Wow, this holds some meaning for me, Thank you!

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  23. I'm a day late but Happy Birthday! It looks as if you had a great day. What could be better than family and friends and a surprise or two? You look so cute, and almost like a teenager with your braids so how can you be 50?!!

    What a huge strawberry that is in your photo. It might have been grown not too far from where we live!

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  24. Happy Birthday, Serena!

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  25. Thank you all for your beautiful birthday wishes and compliments re. my age. It's just not fair that the clock keeps ticking away at my age but I still feel young inside....lol....I guess that's what really counts. :)

    Janet, I'll take note on the label when we buy the next punnet to see what area in California they were grown. I can tell you all of the strawberries were very sweet and delicious!

    Thanks, Karmacoy! My double spiral is my own design so done a quite differently to the traditional double spiral symbol but, like you, I love the meaning. Thanks for dropping by. :)

    Margaret, I've posted over on your wonderful blog about the Buddha you painted from one of my photos. Awesome job!

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  26. Happy Birthday, looks like you had a wonderful day. Love the tatoo

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  27. A belated Happy Birthday, Serena!! What a great day you had! It's awesome how your family pulled it all together for you without your having a clue. That is an adorable picture of you as a little girl, and here you are STILL looking totally cute in those braids. You look great!

    I just turned 42 on March 10th, so that's yet another thing in common we've got. xoxo Serena Pia

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  28. Happy Belated Birthday and the best wishes! Wondeful family pictues!

    And what a straberry!

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  29. Serena, Happy Belated Birthday!!!! You look lovely and adorable in your braids ;)

    Wow, that is one HUGE strawberry. Was it sweet? :)

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  30. Serena, finally getting back to visiting blogs and I come to see that I missed your birthday.

    I see it was a wonderful day! Just gorgeous that it was all a surprise, makes it even more special to know that people have gone to the trouble of making it secret :)

    have a wonderful 50th year! blessings of love & light to you xo

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  31. Happy Birthday Serena. You look wonderful for 50.

    The best to you.

    Hugs
    Becky

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  32. happy happy 50th. life now truly begins!

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  33. Oh shit I missed your birthday. I'm sorry. :(

    But I wish love light and happy blessings for you for EVERY day.

    HUGS!!!!!!!

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