Birthday Dinner at Kiwitea

It was to be quite a family affair up on the farm in Kiwitea.   Grand-daughter Emma had just turned 21, daughter Nicky and son-in-law Robert had recently celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary, and then of course it was my 65th birthday.  We drove up to Kiwitea in the late afternoon to share a celebration family dinner.  First thing to do was to admire the new horses that had arrived since our last visit.  Emma was very proud of her new filly Saffron, who had Palomino blood in her ancestry.

Emma and Saffron

Robert and Michael were busy working with two new young horses, getting them used to halters and being handled.  They were walked around and around in a circle, made to stop, and to stand still.  Robert commented that it doesn’t really take too long for horses to learn basic commands.

Young horses in training

Emma’s young puppy Sasha was having a great time racing around outside.  The farm dogs were keeping a watchful eye on the young horses being worked and didn’t have much time for such an active young puppy.  A couple of nips from the older dogs didn’t dampen her enthusiasm, Sasha didn’t care though, she just loved being outdoors with all these interesting smells.

Jack and Sasha

It was time to go indoors and for the birthday girl to open our gift.  We had organised a photo book and were very pleased with how it had turned out.

21st Birthday photo book

Luckily we had photos taken just after the birth when both of us grandparents were having our very first hold of the brand new baby.  We included toddler photos, including the obligatory unclothed  little one year old one.  There were plenty of photos of all the horses that Emma had ridden over the years, right up to the current cover photo of Emma with her new puppy Sasha.

Look, it’s all about me!

It is a family tradition that the birthday person can chose the menu for their birthday meal.  Emma had chosen chicken breasts stuffed with apricots and wrapped in bacon, potato salad, (with green salad was added by Mum for a healthy meal), and garlic bread.  This was followed with chocolate cheesecake, topped with a solid chocolate horse’s head.  And not forgetting the ice-cream cake.  It was all so delicious.

Yummy desserts - chocolate cheesecake and ice-cream cake

Twenty five years of marriage is certainly well worth celebrating and I presented Nicky and Robert with the black and white quilt which I had been busy stitching over the last few months.  Then, Nicky presented me with my birthday gift, so it was presents all round.  A bit more chat, then it was time to drive back to Himatangi. 

25th Anniversary quilt