In His Footsteps: Birthday!

I realize that 23 isn’t really a landmark birthday, but since I have time to ponder life I want to share my thoughts J Looking back across all my birthdays I realized that I’ve had so many that were unique and special, partly because of where I was and mostly because of who was helping me celebrate! Because I had such a fun time re-playing all those memories I’m going to write a few of them down.

My earliest birthday memory, 1995: I turned 5 just a week after my baby brother Lukas was born in northern Pakistan. We were staying in Islamabad, and the Halberg family hosted a birthday party for me. Unfortunately I ended the day on a blue note because Sam Halberg won the prize for Musical chairs, a bag of chocolate covered something, and I thought that was unfair. What good is it being the birthday girl if you don’t win the prize!!

1996: I woke up, saw the balloons and banner, and told my mum she had the day wrong. “It’s not supposed to be my birthday, it’s February 29th!”

1997: My Aunty Lillian Groening in Quetta made me 7 cupcakes with purple icing and arranged them in the shape of a 7 on the plate J

1998: My birthday in an airplane. The stewardess gave me chocolates and took us up for a visit to the cock-pit. The pilot even asked me if I wanted to “help” him fly the plane, so I tentatively pushed the button he pointed at. I still don’t know what exactly I did!

1999: We traveled all day on a hot and dusty bus from Quetta to Karachi. At the guest house that evening I got an ice-cream cone with a candle in it, and Uncle Tim Farrell gave me a Cadbury’s Chocolate bar. Seth gave me a hair band with flowers on it.

2000: Only part of my birthday on the airplane this time! Grossmami in Switzerland had a chocolate torte waiting for me, complete with figurines from Snow White and the 7 dwarves.

2001: Beach holiday in Karachi. We got up super early to go turtle watching. There were paratas and chai for breakfast, and homemade fish ‘n’ chips for dinner.

2004: Back in Canada at the farm, I had a slumber party with homeschool girls. Hannah Lefebvre, Jill Coulter, Karissa Epp, Nancy Andrews and Hannah Kuiper came for games, pizza, ice-cream cake and a sleepover in our living room.

2006: Sweet Sixteen :) In Kabul. Kate Harrison and I had a fun double birthday sleepover on her birthday (Feb. 26^th) On March 1st we were moving house and preparing to leave for several months. I dropped a pot of soup (lunch) all over the floor. The day ended with a surprise (for me!) dinner with the Lammi family concluding with a delicious Finnish birthday cake. They also sang to me in 4 or 5 languages!

2008: Sleepover with Rachel Obenschain and Abby Mindling. We watched Pride&Prejudice. I think I cried :)

2009: First birthday away from my family! Elizabeth, Emily and Marie threw a party for Bethany and me because our birthdays are so close. There was a photo-scavenger hunt all over downtown Victoria, then birthday cake, Nanaimo bars and games in the 3^rd floor lounge of our residence building.

2010: Elizabeth Woolnough made me my first ever banana split and topped it with a sparkler :)

2011: Marie Malone came for supper and brought mini-cheese cakes.

2012: Alyssa Hait, with Marie, Kate, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Nathan, skillfully organized a surprise party at my own house! I was completely floored :) so many balloons and streamers, hilarious games and a chocolate mousse cake to top it off.

2013: I’m here in Spain making memories at the beach with the Pringle kids!! Thanks Jeannine for the fun cake-balls!!!