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Published: July 23rd 2008
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The Murphys all together once again.
This photo looks like an advert for polaroid sunglasses! The last time we were altogether was October 2007! There cannot be many moments in a person’s life when you can say you have had a perfectly wonderful time and that everything about it could not have been better, well I had one of those moments this weekend…..
Unbe known to me plans had been afoot for weeks to celebrate my 50th birthday in style, well Kevin and the boys certainly made sure of that.
The celebrations started the Saturday before with a trip to the Ballet to see Giselle performed by the Australian Ballet Company, simply magical and a great excuse to get dressed up and take in the atmosphere of The South Bank at night. Thank you Sheila and Eddie.
On my actual birthday I was presented with an amazing chocolate fudge cake with candles and caramelised icicles spiked all over the top of the cake. Kevin had it made especially for me, delicious! Kevin then drove me up to Mount Coot-tha to the west of Brisbane for lunch at the Look Out Restaurant over looking the whole of Brisbane and beyond, wonderful. This was somewhere we had promised we would visit together and will be returning to again.
Having been asked to pack a
The Look Out at Mount Coot-tha
We had lunch at the Look Out Restaurant and enjoyed wonderful views of Brisbane and surounding districts. weekend bag the night before, Friday morning came and a taxi took us into the city where we collected a hired car, a Sleek Black Sports Convertible and drove out of the city with the roof down and the sun shining towards the Gold Coast. The mystery thickened as I still did not know where we were going, so a lot of guessing and questions were asked!
As we headed south we stopped along the way at some beautiful beaches and walked along deserted sands, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We climbed the headland at Cabarita and sat watching some migrating Humpback Whales swim pass on their way to Harvey Bay in the North to give birth to their young. An incredible sight.
From there we drove onto Byron Bay and ordered lunch at one of the many coffee snack bar shops that frequent the popular surfing town. Unaware that Cieran was about to turn up from his travels and join us! What a wonderful surprise and so unexpected, it was just so lovely to see him after so long and then to sit chatting and catching up on all his news. We had so much
My Special Birthday Cake
Opening my birthday cards on the verandah at home. to talk about and spent the afternoon laughing and walking along Clarks Beach out to the headland. We decided to drive up to the lighthouse on the most easterly point of Australia to watch the sunset and the moon rise up over the sea…….magic.
Kevin had been very devious and booked not one but two holiday houses for not just us but the rest of the family who arrived that evening and then Anne Marie and Mark, our very good friends who have supported us throughout our trip over here, the next day. The surprises kept coming…….. then later that morning our friends from Holland ,Ellen, Jim and Renee turned up all the way from Coffs Harbour to spend the weekend with us too!!!! That afternoon we spent again down on the beach where everyone swam and surfed and then we sat on the rocks and watched the sun set across the bay as a school of dolphins swam in the waves. What could have been more perfect?
Sunday came and there was no chance of a lie in as I was whisked off to the nearby aerodrome to partake in a 14,000’ Skydive!!!!! Everyone joined in the
Re-united with Cieran.
Cieran flew out to Australia a week before and travelled up from Sydney to join us for the weekend. we had not seen him for 4 months. surprise birthday treat and waved me off as the little plane bumped down the runway and took off over the bay. The views were truly spectacular as we flew high up into a cloudless sky. In order to remember the event I was also being filmed by a fearless cameraman who clung to the outside of the plane as I edged towards the doorway and leant precariously out of the plane! With eyes shut and my heart missing a beat or two, I found myself plummeting to earth at great neck speed. I had totally forgotten the instructions to open my arms after 10 seconds to balance myself as we descended and had to have them pulled apart by the pilot attached to me, I simply froze! Once the parachute had opened the descent slowed and I began to take in the wonderful scenery and could see the golden sandy beaches and mountain ranges stretch out beneath me. After a few disconcerting 360’ stunts and steering to get us on course for landing I gracefully slid to the ground on my bottom, much to my relief and to the applause of my onlookers.
The video filming was hilarious with my
Together at Sunset, Byron Bay
We drove up to the Lighthouse at Bryon and watched the sunset and then the moon rise up over the sea. introductory speech at the beginning thanking everyone for their hand in this ‘surprise’ and then very unflattering shots of me dangling in the air with a terrified expression on my face and my face taking on a whole new shape, looking more like Eddie Murphy in the Nutty Professor, it puts a whole new meaning on a ‘face lift!’
On reflection I am very proud of myself having achieved the free fall and survived, not bad for a mum of five at fifty!! I must just remember to be careful what I wish for in the future and who I share it with!!
So the rest of the day was spent on the beach and drinking coffee chatting and reminiscing about how events had bought us all together and what the future has in store for us. There is a greater plan we are just not privy to it yet and that is what makes this whole adventure even more exciting.
So a huge thank you to everyone who helped to make my birthday this year such a special one, I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband, family and friends I was made to
Friends and family celebrating together
A swim and a surf, a perfect end to the day. Great to be with family and so many dear friends. feel so special. xxxxx
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