Project 289 - Day 249 (Saturday 21 November 2009) : Andrew's Birthday Week Part 1 - Zara, Chicken Kiev Sausages and Alice

Zara with her doting Uncle Andrew (above)

Zara chewing and standing all at once with her Mum helping her stay upright! (below)
Zara getting ready to not so much watch "Barnyard" as chew the cover! (Below)

I love living in Sydney but the one thing I do miss is the chance to see my Mum and Dad and my wonderful siblings as much as I would like to. So, knowing this, and wanting to see me more too, my parents birthday present to me this year was a plane ticket to the Gold Coast from where my sister Rachel picked me up and took me home to Alstonville.

Today wasn't what you'd called action-packed and that's what made it so perfect. I spent the day shopping in Ballina (Big W, Good Guys and a seafood place) in the morning with my Dad and sister Helen (Zara's mum), holding Zara (who is adorable!!), getting ready for my birthday lunch (well trying to - my Mum refused point blank to allow me in the kitchen to help because it was my birthday), welcoming my dear friend Kerry (who drove 2.5 hours down from BrizVegas for the birthday dinner!), playing Wii Ten Pin Bowling (at which I am MUCH better than bowling in person!!), eating a delicious dinner of steak, chops, gourmet sausages (Chicken Kiev ones no less!), curry potato bake and salad, and talking with Kerry till late when she drove home.....

I needed a quiet chilled day where the only constant was the presence of my loving caring family, my adorable cute-as-a-button niece who is now gurgling, 'talking' and smiling and laughing, and my good friend Kerry..... and I got it.

I am a very lucky guy.

Above top : Kerry and I with me holding the present (some very funky ties!)

Above : Kerry and I play a game of Wii Bowling and she thrashes me!

Below: The family (well a part there of and a ring in!) - my brother in law, Michael, my Nanna, my Dad, Kerry and me