A Senior Party.

Way back in October 2009 my sister and I began our secret meetings. Mother would be 90 years young on January 17th 2010. How would we celebrate this achievement. We tossed Ideas about. When she was 80 we arranged a family celebratory dinner at a hotel followed by tea and cake back at our house. This time we calculated there would be too many young children to take to a sit down lunch in a hotel. Mum was also that little bit frailer as well. So what should we do?

After throwing around a few ideas, consulting with brother Michael and considering the post Christmas wallet we settled on a simple Afternoon Tea at our house.

We would do the catering between us and attempt to keep the food to simple finger food and I would do the birthday cake, a trifle and some vegan food We decided the Saturday afternoon would be a better day for every one, so invitations were designed and sent out. The weather in the run up to the party was atrocious, ice snow and bitter cold. Luckily for us a last minute thaw cleared the ice away.

Every one invited, with the exception of Christopher and Stephen who couldn't change work schedules, arrived. My modest house started to look very packed. The last arrivals all fitter in comfortably though.

My sister in Law, Agnes took over the tea pot duties. The kids helped themselves to pop and coke. The food seemed to go down well with every one. We insisted mother picked her plateful first ahead of the mad rush!

After to food every one managed to take some photos. I actually managed to get a photo of the five generations of our side of the family with Mum, Me, Sean, Michael and his daughter Caitlyn. Granddaughter Rebecca and her son Nathan make another part of the 5 generations but she can be rather camera shy.

The oldest and youngest members of my family with 90year old Mother and 8 month old Nathan. Actually he isn't the youngest family member as my Brothers daughter, Christine had a son, Joe just 6 weeks ago. (Nathan's ready for home and bed, dressed in his jimjams)
After some persuasion we managed to get a photo of Mum with daughter in law Agnes, son Michael, son in law Colin , daughter Barbara, daughter Monica(me) and son in law David.
Every one had a good time and my niece remarked that it was sad that it took an occasion like this or weddings and funerals to get us all together.