A Christening

Yesterday, Palm Sunday, dawned a very dark, wet and miserable day. Overnight we had one and a half inches of rain. The flood meadows around us were flooded once more and our evaporating pond was full of water.

The 'Family' were to gather in Bourne Abby in the afternoon for the Christening of Joshua Ryan the latest baby in the family. Umbrellas wellies and raincoats, will we need them? Luckily no it stopped in time.
After a Wedding and three Christenings were were use to the 'off beat' humour of the Abbey's resident 'Hippie' vicar. His long gray hair and a full bushy gray beard shocked and scandalised my mother at first but shes now grudgingly accepted him. There were four babies to be christened that afternoon of Palm Sunday.

My preparations for the Christening began several weeks ago with a cake making session and my special celebration recipe. The large oval cake turned out well and it had a few weeks to mature and soak up the brandy it had been 'fed' with.

The fruit all weighed out and picked over for the stray stones, pips and stalks now soaks a few hours in Brandy to plump up. Mmmm smells good!
The matured cake is coated with marzipan...............
and sugar paste icing...............
before being decorated. I had two instructions....... no 'poxy' baby blue and no baby with a 'bum' in the air in the decorations! So he's got trains......

It think it turned out quite well despite struggling to actually 'pull my finger out' and get on with it. For some reason I really had to struggle and force myself to get motivated.

I wonder nowadays how I managed to work full time, sometimes out all night with deliveries, keep house and then turn out up to three three tier wedding cakes a month. Now, I have all the time in the world and struggle to do one cake. My organisational an multitasking skills seem to have gone with advancing age!

The proud parents, .Its Mums first baby, but she also now has three step children! Thankfully not all the time though! Being a parent to one is tough for the first time. It does get easier as more appear, but a 'clutch' in one go takes a time to get use to.

My mother with her second great grand son 16 year old Chris. Just one of her 7 grand children, 11 great grand children, 3 step great grand children and 1 great great grand daughter.

The children all different ages were all well behaved (if some what noisy!)and seemed to have fun. They invented their own games often organised by Lauren and Grace!

The guest of Honour in his own transport entertaining his second cousin once removed (I think) AKA my great grand daughter Caitlyn-Rae

I think all the guests, friends and family had a great afternoon to welcome little Josh . The hotel had layed on a great spread for us. Thanks Bev and Barry. Here's to the next family celebration! Will it be a wedding?........................................