So proud of Bill. He reached eighty last Monday. Over the years he has had some serious health issues including heart attacks and now heart failure. So he has done well to keep on kicking along. We had a party to celebrate his achievement. We booked the village community centre and our daughters and families flew from Melbourne to help organise the show. They did a wonderful job and so too did my village friends who all pitched in and helped clean up.
Sonya and Bernie set up the room and decorated the tables. Bill made a Keynote Presentation of photos of his eighty years of life, Carol baked the birthday cake and made a grazing platter for each table. I had organised the local Thai Restaurant to deliver the food.
The photo is the handsome boy I married, can't believe he is 80.
He enjoyed catching up with old friends.
Sonya and Fox meet our new friends.
Jo and Keith were our neighbours before we moved into the village. Sylvia and Rene are Swiss friends we met in 1970 on a ship that they were migrating on and we were returning from a world trip.
New friends from the village.
Banjo watches Bill blow out the candles.
The best friends ever, clean up and wash up after 45 people. We are lucky to have a 90 second commercial dishwasher in the community centre kitchen.
Six extra people fitted into our three bedroom apartment. They were here for four nights. It was fun being surrounded by family when we don't see them very often but it was a chaotic, noisy, exciting time. However, we are happy to be back to our slow, quiet life now.
We didn't have to do anything while they were here. They cooked and cleaned up and entertained us with games of Articulate.
The last morning they were here was a dash to get ready to go to airports, Coolangatta and Brisbane. We only had a few minutes for a last minute photo of us all. Who knows when we'll all be together again. I love our little family!
How fabulous! Happy Birthday Bill, though I am a bit late. Wonderful photos of this happy celebration and what a great one of you all in that last family portrait. Thank you for sharing the joy Diane :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous way to celebrate Bill's 80th birthday. There's nothing better than the love of family and friends. A very happy birthday to your darling Bill.
ReplyDeleteWow ! that was quite a wonderful birthday for Bill ! I can imagine having 6 people in your apartment must have been like a tornado blowing through the rooms ! I will join the 8 club in July, I don't know what or if my mini family will do. Marieken is still busy with her long Covid. I offer myself the cruise on the Daube.
ReplyDeleteWhat a good looking lad :) You chose well, all those years ago.
ReplyDeleteI love the group photos which the family will love receiving, dated and located. They are precious reminders of the good times.
Happy birthday to your sweet husband. We are getting old, almost eighty too...
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Bill! Love the last family photo! Take care, have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteHappy 80th!!! What a milestone, indeed!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful family...Glad you had fun!
hugs
Donna
What a great celebration and time for family! Congratulations to Bill!
ReplyDeleteGlad the old fella made it. Happy birthday Bill. The family gathered together in the photo is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds/looks like a lovely celbration.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday, Bill!
P.S. Did I read correctly that the dishwasher washes the dishes in 90 seconds?
Yes it is a commercial one. you load two trays and slide them in and turn on. It has to heat up for the first time but not after that. We just keep loading it time after time when we have dinners for over a 100 people.
DeleteSuch a wonderful 80th birthday celebration for Bill.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos,
Hugs and blessings, Diane.
Congratulations with Bill. What a great party. One to remember. What a wealth to have the family in your apartment for 4 days. Love the last picture.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Bill. Looks like a good party!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful celebration! Happy belated birthday wishes to Bill. I bet his best present was having the family together for several days.
ReplyDeleteOh those photos are true Treasures. The last one of the whole family is definitely a wall hanger.
ReplyDeleteYou had a wonderful celebration. Food looks so good and how nice to have the place to enjoy each
other. Memories forever!
Sue
Ah, OW! Happy Birthday Bill. What a wonderful fun time to have all the family and friends celebrate your birthday Bill a great achievement. Photos are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful birthday and more pictures for your story.
ReplyDeleteBelated birthday greetings to Bill. That's a lovely family portrait, the perfect reminder of a wonderful occasion. The community centre was the perfect place for you to gather family, old friends and new.
ReplyDeleteQuanti bei sorrisi...ti seguo. How many beautiful smiles. I follow you.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes and belated 🎂wishes to Bill on #80 and hope you enjoy many more wonderful years🎉 What a wonderful celebration with family and friends. Thanks, Diane for sharing Bill’s special day and your family photo was great to see. Your grandsons are growing up!
ReplyDeleteI realy enjoyed reading that and seeing everyone enjoying the celebration. You are a very fortunate couple. Congratulations to Bill. May he have the good health to celebrate many more.
ReplyDeleteHappy happy year to your Bill! That was a lovely party, good friends and great pictures of it all. And best of all such a wonderful family -- that last portrait is fabulous. (It has been so long since we've gotten our whole family together all at once, I can hardly remember. You are fortunate.)
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvellous way to celebrate Bill's birthday. It is scary how the years seem to speed past.
ReplyDelete