Bev's 50th Birthday Weekend

Our holiday this time was planned around driving to Camden to help my cousin Bev celebrate her 50th Birthday. Not only is Bev my cousin but her husband Bruce is also a good friend and was best man for us when we got married.

We were also very close to my Aunty and her seven children growing up. They lost their dad to cancer at an early age and my dad and his only sister were pretty close growing up, and so there fore we spent many weekends out on the farm in Bundy. It has been years since we have seen some of my cousins and all exept for one family made it to Bev's 50th so you can just imagine the weekend we all had catching up with each other.

The weather wasn't the best. It was glorious when we first arrived but by Saturday it was very overcast and cold and Sunday was really wet so instead of going off to the beach like we all planned, we actually staying home where it was nice and warm, did plenty of chatting, played games and watched movies. It was a really lovely relaxing time.

We added to the humour by getting locked in our van. Somehow Saturday night the door handle to the van broke and locked us in, so we had to remove all the locking systems and handles off the doors to get out. We had others on the otherside trying to help.... not very pleasant in the rain and cold I might add.

This post will be a massive photo share.

We were the first to arrive on Thursday afternoon, and we set up the van in their back yard (tent city). Barry and Robyn and their family arrived about 8.30pm Thursday night, but didn't set up until the next morning. There were 7 of them.
Just loving the way Barry and Robyn have organised the back of their van to fit everything in. Robyn says it is great for when she does her grocery shopping too. What a terrific family they are. Everyone got in and put up the tents. Their kids are really great, really hard workers and so helpful and polite. This is the most I have had to do with their kids and they definately are a credit to them.

Bruce has spent the last twelve months renovating their home ( from when we were down there this time last year) and it was amazing to see the transformation. He has done an absolute fabulous job and their home looks fantasic now. It has been a HUGE undertaking, and they were working around the clock to have it finished for Bev's party. Nothing like a deadline to get the job done.
Bev received these gorgeous birthday flowers and they really complimented their living area. They were just gorgeous and the photos really do not do them justice.

On Friday everyone else arrived, Lots of chatting and laughter.

Bev, Cathy and Ross cooked up a storm and we had this amazing seafood paella for dinner. It was fabulous. Bruce found extra tables so that we could all sit and have a meal together and we took up the whole of their dining room. There was heaps more of sitting around and chatting again after dinner before we all went to bed.

Saturday the weather wasn't so kind, it was much colder, and quite overcast but the sun did manage to come out just for us to have lunch outside.
Joy, Heather and I spent the morning shopping for food to make trays and trays of sandwiches for lunch. Also fruit for fruit platters. We were feeding 30 for the weekend.
It seemed most of the weekend was about preparing food and cleaning up. It was all good.
There was plenty of talking and chatting up happening also. It was great seeing all the younger cousins having an awesome time together too.

In the afternoon this little fellow wandered accross their back yard. The kids were all so excited and everyone was out there taking photos. I am sure that he was pretty young as he didn't seem to afraid and actually wandered back under our van and sat there for a while.
The younger kids were super excited to get up close and personal to him.

We were having a sit down three course meal for Bev's birthday dinner and they had caterers come in and cook it in their kitchen. The smells during the afternoon were amazing.
Bev has a kitche to die for I might add. She has only managed to get back into her new kitchen herself in the last couple of weeks.

Their new dining room is huge and we were able to set it up to seat 30 people for dinner.
Saturday night we had heaps of family photos taken before dinner. Not often that 7 families all get together so it was great to get family photos done.

Barry and Robyn, Cathy and Ross, Bev and Bruce, Robbie and Trudy and Joy and Peter.
Steve and I, Paul, Heather and Alex, Aunty Joan and Cathy, all the younger cousins, and Heather and Aunty Joan.
Norm and Aunty Joan, Heather Paul and Alex, Family group waving, Trudy and her youngest Sam, and Bev with her son David.
Then we took some photos of the family groups. Bruce and Bev and their famiy, Robbie and Trudy and their family, Ross and Cathy and some of their family, and Barry and Robyn and most of their family, Their eldest son Brady is travelling through Europe at the moment.
Some random shots of everyone. You can tell that when the boys get together it is a laugh a minute. They are very good at reminising of their adventures of the past.

After the photos, Bev opened her presents. Lots of fun.
and then we had some piano recitals by her girls who play beauitfully. I could honestly sit and listen to them all night. They often play the piano and we got to hear them play heaps whilst we were there. They enjoy it and often play for relaxation.
Not to be outdone. Their son David got in and played a Duet with Caitlyn too. Lots of fun and a real birthday treat for Bev.

We then all sat down to eat.. Beautiful food, beautiful company. lovely night.
Before long it was time to light the candles.
After dinner, we all gathered in their rumpus room and viewed a presentation that Bruce had put together of Bev's 50 years. Most of us present were included in photos somewhere during the presentation, and there were lots of good memories and lots of laughs and other stories.Bruce and Bev have lead very interesting lives, even living in the States for a couple of years, so it was good to fill in some of the missing pieces. They moved to NSW not long after they were married, so have missed lots of yearly Scott family get togethers because most of the other Scotts now live in Qld in the south east corner, so do manage to get together on a pretty regular basis.

On Sunday night we enjoyed a second birthday cake. Bev made this for Alex (her nephew) who happens to share the same birthday as she does. Pity he wasn't there to enjoy it, but we sang Happy Birthday to him and definately enjoyed his cake for desert.
We spent a wonderful 4 days in Camden and I really want to thank Bruce and Bev for their wonderful hospitality. It was such an honor to be included in their celebrations. We really love catching up with you guys.

Though with all good things, they come to an end way too soon, and it wasn't long before we were packing up to head home again.

At the moment we are in Armidale. Wet wet cold Armidale. Have some more photos to share of our travels to here but they will have to wait for another post. We need to get packing so that we can head off real soon. Not looking forward to the travel today in the rain.

Will be back to share the rest of the adventure in the next couple of days.