In My Shoes: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return"

Well it's been a while. I have been so busy with uni and work and lots of things in my personal life too.

I thought I'd finally share some bits and pieces from my Birthday BBQ last month.

What an amazing day. I had my family over to our place. Everyone brought a plate, and our collective haul was delicious. Everyone talked and laughed and ate - lots. In fact I had such a good time I hardly took any photo's.

Some high points:

Where my six year old cousin Tino educated my Mum and Brad on what makes jelly wobble. Mum asked him how he learnt that it was the gelatine. He said "I googled it - duh".

Seeing my cousin Jhansi play with and look after my god-daughter Aaliah.

Having Kelsey be so full and tired that she fell asleep on the couch

Watching Aaliah go and sit on peoples laps as they ate, in the hope that they would feed her party food.

Jolly Drinks. Oh yeah.

Knowing that my Dad's family shared all of my childhood/teenage embarrassing stories with Brad's family.There is no running from the humiliation now.

It felt so incredible and surreal to have all my different fragments of family together. It really made me truly understand who my family is. My family is my Sister. Family is my Dad and his Brothers and Sisters and their children. It is my Mum and her Husband, and his parents. It is Brad. It is Brads family - they are my family too. My family is my friends.

At one point I stopped what I was doing and looked around. I really felt all the love that was in the room. I looked at the groups of people deep in conversation about fishing. I looked at the group outside playing cricket. I looked at Aaliah playing peek-a-boo from behind a tree with my cousin.

I felt really loved.

I felt really lucky.

In that moment I knew that I had been given the best Birthday Gift I could ask for, a patch-work Family that love me. And I know now that I have that three hundred and sixty five days a year - not just on my Birthday.