When planning my dates home I wanted 6 weeks so I could be home for Mother's Day as well as my birthday, but my host parents, understandably so, would only give me 4. I chose Mother's Day over my birthday because it was more important to me to be home for that. So, just like Christmas, I was nervous about spending my Birthday away from home. But, just like Christmas, everyone in Australia assured me that it would be different, which means it would be memorable.
Once I knew I'd be having my birthday in Australia I decided I want a Wizard of Oz theme since Australia is known as Oz. I had to decide if I was going to go all out with decorations and costumes (as most birthday parties here involve dressing up) or if I was just going to theme the cake. I also had to decide what and where. Who was easy because I only have one set of friends here, my Compass (church) family.
Fairly early on I decided no costumes and no decorations, because my birthday was happening just 2 weeks after I returned and I didn't want all the stress and planning required with that. I also decided I didn't want it at the house because of the kids and I didn't want to just sit around. Just a couple days before I left for home I decided to go with Glaze It, a local ceramics painting studio. I didn't decide until I got back to Australia , in fact to be more specific, I didn't decide until 3 days before my birthday where I was getting my cake and what I was going to do with it. And I didn't decide until the day before my birthday what I was going to do about food.
Early in my birthday week I found out the oven was broken so I couldn't make my own cake, which meant I needed to pay for one to be made. Also early in the week I found out I wouldn't have a car for the weekend. Then Thursday night my phone fell in the kids' bath. I forgot it was in my pocket and it fell out. I was really upset at how things seemed to be unfolding and assumed my birthday was destined to be the miserable, lonely, awful birthday I thought it would be. I couldn't have been more wrong.
By Friday afternoon my phone was back in working order (this will be a blog of its own in a few days, because it was so a God thing). Saturday evening my Aussie family blessed me with take away Thai dinner in our trackies (my favorite!! because going out to eat is soooo over rated!). Afterwards they surprised me with MamaJ's yummy chocolate cake and the coolest, most thoughtful presents. They always go over and above what I would ever expect of anyone to do for me. Every time I'm with them they never fail to show me God's heart and love for me. I pray blessings over them every day because there is nothing I could possibly do to repay them for everything they've done for me.
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| One of the gifts from my Joan and Ian (my Aussie mom&dad) - Nanoblocks, the smallest legos you've ever seen in your life |
Sunday I got ready for church including wearing my gold (more like neon yellow) shirt for my golden birthday (the one where you turn the same age as your birth date). Church was beautiful as always - worship, sermon, lots of hugs (more than usual =] ), and plenty of birthday wishes. Two of my beautiful friends, who chose not to listen to my directions about not getting me presents since they'd be paying to paint pottery in the evening with me, gave me presents. After church I went to the cake shop to pick up my cake and then headed back to the house. I got right to work in the kitchen, that's right, in the KITCHEN!! I never spend time there, so it was a bit of an event. I spent 4 hours decorating my cake, cutting up fruit for the party, and cleaning up. Somewhere in the middle of all this my host family surprised me with 3 beautifully, perfect presents. 2 3D puzzles of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House and the other is a children's book called When You Go to Melbourne, which was really special to me. Jen and I found this book in a book shop back in February and I fell in love, but when I saw the cost I put it right back. It was the coolest book with illustrations of buildings, statues, cafes, graffiti - everything and anything Melbourne. Later on, with 10 minutes to spare I laid in my bed because my upper back and neck felt like someone was twisting my muscles and then stabbing it. This is one of the reasons I don't spend much time standing or in the kitchen, because this is usually the outcome. After my 10 minutes I hopped up, gathered everything, took everything out to the car, and headed for the ceramics painting studio.
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| My Golden Birthday Outfit |
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| My rainbow fruit for my Wizard of Oz theme |
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| Baked by the shop, Decorated by me |
I unloaded at the studio, set up, and my beautiful friends started to arrive. Of course the girls were excited, but it was cool to see the guys get excited and in to it as well. Everyone marveled over my cake ( =] ), picked their pieces to paint, got instructed, and then set to work. Some designs didn't take as long as other designs and some required breaks in between so we spent some time eating and chatting as well. After all of the pieces were painted everyone sang me happy birthday, we cut the cake, and did presents (even though I clearly instructed people NOT to bring presents, since paying for their own ceramic pieces was already going to cost money; these guys just don't know how to stop blessing others). We finished just on time, a few of my friends stayed behind to help me clean up and carry things out to the car. I smiled the whole way home. For a birthday away from my family and the friends I grew up with... I seriously couldn't have asked for a better, more love filled, more blessed 23rd birthday in the land of Oz.
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| It's my party and I'll eat if I want to, however I want to ;) |
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| Mulyadi!! |
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| With Louise! One of my very first Aussie contacts and soon to be amazing friend!! |
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| Table 1 |
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| Table 2 |
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| Painting while wearing my "Birthday Girl" pin from Anna |
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| Some of the best Aussie friends a girl could ask for!!! =] |
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| 23 and Feeling Good!!! =D |
So, what did I paint?... I went in knowing I wanted to paint something that had to do with Australia, but I wasn't sure what. While there I decided I wanted to paint a keepsake box for the smaller items I collect while here that don't fit in my scrapbook. This is what I came up with and I'm pretty pleased with it (underneath the lid is another heart like the one in the bottom with the date I painted it, which just so happens to be my birthday):
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