I was able to celebrate with my workmates with a lunch at Wagamama on Friday, then it was down to business and the mammoth preparation for the big party on Saturday began. Thankfully, we had my friend Jackie from work stay the night before so she was a great help entertaining Noah and helping us get everything done around the house beforehand.
Celebrating with my friends...Caroline, and Marissa, Sarah, Sally
Everything kicked off at 2pm, we were putting the finishing touches on all the food when at 2.30pm our first guests arrived. There was a steady stream of people arriving till the place was pretty packed and full-on for about an hour and a half with close to 50 people coming to help us celebrate. We were so so blessed with the most glorious warm and sunny day, and it made it so much easier to be able to open up all the patio doors and have people both inside and out. Most people had headed home by about 6pm, with Shannon, Guy and Jackie staying on to help us celebrate for a few more hours. The only slight on the day was Noah being very clingy at times during the party, he woke up from his sleep a bit grumpy and it went downhill from there. I think the main thing was that he found the sheer volume of people in his space a bit overwhelming. He brightened up a little when Magnus arrived to play, and was back to his usual cheerful and bouncy self once there were only a handful of people left. Nevertheless, it was a real treat to have so many people want to celebrate with us, as so many have had a part to play in my success in one way or another that I felt truly blessed and honoured to be able to share the day with them all. I would love to have been able to say a few words at the party, but it was unlikely I would have been able to catch everyone at the same time since people came and left throughout the afternoon, so for posterity's sake there are a few people that deserve a special mention:
Tracy Broadley, Steve Gregan, and Neil Pennington - my various managers at M-co who gave me the financial support, and always offered me every flexibility to be able to study part-time whilst working full-time for the last six years
Tracey Easte - for all your friendship and encouragement and lending me both your own PAS notes and good advice
Caroline Wakelin, Linda Wood, Vanessa Glennie, Anneliese Frickleton, Corrina Wilson, Tanya Edgar, Rama Rewi, and Bruce Cossill - my awesome M-co colleagues over the years
Jackie Field - for being both a great colleague and friend this year while I was doing PAS, you have made my life so much easier with all the extra work you have taken on as well as babysitting, catsitting and generally keeping me sane through all the various challenging changes this year at work!
Paula Rae - agreeing to be my Institute mentor and being a wise counsel and good sounding board at our monthly catch ups
Sarah Bracewell, Sally Gough, Marissa Martin, Bex Gilling and Becky Lusby - my dearest girlfriends from church who have both loved me unconditionally, and prayed with me and for me in good times and bad over the last few years - you rock!
My awesome family on both sides of the world - you have understood and been so patient when I have come visiting with various study books in tow, or understood when study has prevented me from being able to join in activities, or when it has meant I have not been able to visit at all. I have felt your love and prayers with me on every exam day of the last six years.
And last but not least Markie....what can I say. Without you, this really wouldn't have been possible. You have not only become a world class chef as a result of me stepping aside in the kitchen all those years ago, but you have also quietly achieved your own amazing successes as well - losing 30 kgs and being Weight Watcher of the Year, becoming an amazing daddy to our beautiful son, achieving a sub-4 hour in the Karapoti race, and coping with a broken arm and 20 stitches in your knee with all your usual optimisim and determination. And if that wasn't enough.....always, always being so understanding and never once questioning my choices at times when I had to put my studies first. I couldn't have done this without you.
Noah enjoys the privilege of putting the angel on top of the Christmas tree
Today, Mark went and helped Jonny tidy up his garden in the morning, and this afternoon I enjoyed a very rare afternoon nap when Noah went for his sleep. Obviously the excitement of this week and the nasty cold I have been battling really took its toll. After we were up and about from what was a delicious sleep which took a while to wake up from, we put up the Christmas tree. Noah was a great help this year, and was very excited at being allowed to put the angel on the top and turn the lights on. With the 1st of December on the morrow, Christmas is well and truly just around the corner now!
Our new table which was delivered this week just in time for the party, Noah chowing down at the new table, and enjoying the wooden nativity set Grandma sent him
Noah enjoys the privilege of putting the angel on top of the Christmas tree
Today, Mark went and helped Jonny tidy up his garden in the morning, and this afternoon I enjoyed a very rare afternoon nap when Noah went for his sleep. Obviously the excitement of this week and the nasty cold I have been battling really took its toll. After we were up and about from what was a delicious sleep which took a while to wake up from, we put up the Christmas tree. Noah was a great help this year, and was very excited at being allowed to put the angel on the top and turn the lights on. With the 1st of December on the morrow, Christmas is well and truly just around the corner now!
Our new table which was delivered this week just in time for the party, Noah chowing down at the new table, and enjoying the wooden nativity set Grandma sent him
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