Turning 50 - A three Day Party

So much has happened since I last blogged lots good and some not so good. - I warn you now that this will be a long post, more for my sake as I document both the good and the bad. Last week was a horrendous week for me - there is stuff happening at work that has made me really sad and unhappy. So much so that I went and asked our principal for a transfer out. Not sure if this will happen, but I figure I need a change. Over the last few years, I have received some nasty injuries at work, and suddenly last week, it was like a dam burst and I just felt enough is enough. Being "White Ribbon" week did not help as this is all about stopping violence against woman. Unfortunately, all the incidents and injuries I have received in the last few years have happened at the hands of boys, and I think it is time we said enough is enough, and even if at times they don't understand, it is still not acceptable. I have spent $100 this past week on chiropractic visits due to stress. I just do not earn enough to keep this up, although this is not really about money. I have had my little whinge now but if you are a person who prays, I would value your prayers that an opportunity arises that I can change into the general school and library rather than remain in special ed. I also think I need the challenge of something new. Maybe it is the end of the year and I am just worn out.

Now after sharing all that, I was in for an amazing surprise on the weekend. I turned 50 last Sunday and I honestly thought that the weekend was going to be a non event, as Steve has been SO SO SO busy with the end of year exams and reports, and the poor guys has not been to bed much before 2am - 3am now for the last couple of weeks. (In fact I haven't seen much of him at all this past month). He just did not have time to organise anything and I could really understand that as I watched him work day and night for the past month. Also the kids were really busy and had already let me know that there is no way they could afford to come home for the weekend this close to Christmas.

After the most aweful and emotional week at work, I went to work Friday morning and arrived to find my room had been decorated by a couple of the beautiful girls I work with. Balloons streamers, Big happy Birthday sign in the window, (plus my age I might add) Every classroom I went into, the kids sang happy birthday, and so many of the lovely staff gave me gifts, one teacher who has not been at our school for the last two years, even came back and brought me a gift. I was overwhelmed by their love and generousity. Friday morning I am in the staff room at 10.30am on my break when my husband walked in with the hugest bunch of red roses with an "I love you" Balloon to have morning tea with me. He asked me to come outside, he had something in the car and as I walked outside, there was Sarah standing with a huge punch of pink roses, and a "You are Special" balloon. Well as you can imagine, I just completely lost the plot and am standing there sobbing my little heart out. They had bought in a special morning tea to share with me during my break. Friday afternoon, most of the staff in the unit threw me a special afternoon tea. We laughed (such good medicine), and Sarah arrived about 4pm to pick me up and take me out shopping for a couple of hours. I actually wanted to go home and take my flowers home and she said "No Mum" they will be fine, so off shopping we went until 5.45pm. When I got home the house was spotless, Steve and Sarah had spent the day, cleaning it from top to bottom, washing all the floors so it would look nice for the weekend. The yard was all mowed. it was just beautiful. I was overwhelmed again. Steve then told me not to get excited, that Pete definately could not make it, if I was thinking that he might surprise me too. He just didn't want me to get my hopes up and then feel disappointed cause he couldn't get there. Anyway, Sarah wanted to take me out to the back bedroom where she was to show me a dress she had made the weekend before with my girlfriend Barb. But I fobbed her off, wanting to put my beautiful flowers in water first, so I took my time fiddling around arranging them, and finally she takes me into her room, and who should be sitting on my bed, but my wonderful Mum and Dad who had also come up to surprise me for my birthday. Well I was emotional again. Friday night was just a lot of fun, Chloe's boyfriend came over, and we all played "Phase 1o" and had a late night. Saturday morning the celebrations started all over again. Chloe, Steve and Dad went off to do some shopping whilst, Mum, Sarah and I went to the other shopping centre where we went out to coffee with a friend of Sarah's, We did have strick instuctions to be home by 12 noon though.

Anyway we got home at lunch time on Saturday, and Steve is packing the esky, and told me we were going to the beach for a picnic lunch. (I love going on picnics to the beach) but to also put in a change of clothes cause we could go out and have dinner whilst we were there. We took off to the beach about 1.30pm and when we got to Yeppoon, he stopped the car and blind folded me - now I was a bit suss. After driving around the roundabout 3-4 times, to disorinate me, we drove for another 15 minutes with me blind folded. He and the girls had me walking up stairs blindfolded (not a nice experience, and a real lesson in trust), and the next minute they took the blindfold off, and here I was standing in a Unit looking out to sea. He had booked us into Roslyn Bay Resort for the weekend, as well as my parents. Well if that was not enough, the next minute, my sister, and Brother in law, and their children and grandchildren all walked in. They were booked in for the weekend and were celebrating my birthday with me. I was a mess again. I just could not beleive we were all having a weekend down at the resort together. We had a ton of fun, with the kids all enjoying a swim in the pool in the afternoon. By now I am feeling a little disappointed that Pete was not going to make it, more for his sake now as all the cousins were going to be together and he would be missing out on all the fun. Steve then told me that we were having dinner at the Beach's Restaurant at the resort, and (then I understood why Sarah had me shopping that morning for a new outfit) Anyway by this stage there were now 18 of us in my birthday party. At 7pm, we went down to the restaurant for dinner, and they had this huge table set up out on the balcony overlooking the pool, it was beautiful, but it was set up for over thirty people. Steve was off somewhere on the phone, and the lady from the restaurant came out and asked was this OK, and I said to her that there were far too many settings, that there were only 18 of us in the party, she looked at me strangely saying "Really" (and apparently my Dad was in the background trying to say there that not it was all right) The next minute, all of these beauiful friends of mine started arriving, Dan and Jenni, Eleonore, Marg, Jannett, and even Chloe's boyfriend James, I was totally overwhelmed again. I just could not beleive my beautiful husband would have gone to so much trouble when he had been so busy. we were pretty much all seated with a spare chair next to me, when the next minute I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around and there was my wonderful son Pete standing there. Well I completely lost it and was a blubbering sobbing mess. After the week I had you have no idead how totally and completely overwhelmed I felt by all the love from my amazing family and friends. We had the best night.

It was so nice to wake up on my birthday with my beautiful family all with me. Steve and Dad, cooked a wonderful breakfast and we all had it in the garden setting and spent a leisurely morning together.

It was the best birthday I have ever had - the only real thing I wanted for my birthday was to spend time with my family. The best present any of them could have given me was spending the time with me. I just loved every minute of it. I truely do have the most wonderful fantasic husband and amazing family and I have felt so special and loved all weekend. It actually turned into a three day birthday celebration. I have a few photos to share from the weekend. I honestly did not take enough - I was too busy having a good time.

As far as scrapbooking goes. I have been pretty slack lately - well probably more busy than anything. I have managed to do a couple of classes with Ali Russell from Embellished. Always enjoy what we do, and am pretty happy with these layouts too.

Hope to start the layouts in my "Joy Journal" this week, already have quite a few things that I could scrap about that have brought me great joy just in this past week. I must admit that after the past weekend, the stress from work is insignificant in comparsion to the blessings I have received from those I love and who love me. How truely grateful and thankful I feel that I have such an amazing husband who never fails to show his love not only to me but also to our kids, and my family. I have the best kids, who I am so incredibly proud of, and wonderful parents who have loved me unconditionally all my life - great sisters, and great neices and nephews. Some people go through life without having a real friend, I am definately been blessed by having amazing friends who have always loved me, stood by me, and been their for me, and I just want to thank each and everyone of you amazing people who have helped me to be the person I am today. I am truely blessed.