Happy Independence Day...

It WAS a happy Independence Day, as well. Busy, but completely delightful!

Martin worked all morning--he got home at 3 pm, which was actually an hour before I expected him. He came home and caught me red-handed--literally--painting a giant American flag on our back wall. It's only done with kids' poster paints, so it should wash off, but I had a great time doing it!

By the time he got home, the kids and I had gone grocery shopping, cleaned the house, tidied the back garden, showed the house to prospective buyers, and prepared most of the food for Martin's BBQ. I was absolutely exhausted.

People started showing up at about 5:15, and we ended up with 15 people in total. I did country style BBQ pork ribs and burgers, and our guests brought their own sausages. I made mom's pasta salad (with orzo insteadof fusilli, which was really nice) and Christine contributed her delicious bean salad. The Davies (our Aussie friends) brought a green salad and a bit of coleslaw. We ended up with just enough food for everyone, with a tiny bit of salad and a few sausages left over.

We had Martin's family, the Davie family, and Howard and Jen here. The mix of people was just right--everyone got along famously and there was no awkwardness at all. The Davie kids played with Dylan, so he had a marvellous time. Edith was either held by her aunt Cathy or nanna or sleeping. Martin opened his birthday presents (a successs, thank goodness), and we ate the delicious desserts we had made the night before. I made a New York style baked cheesecake (gorgeous) and Martin made a summer fruit pudding (to die for) from my home made brioche and the fruit we had picked on Friday night.

Once everyone was gone and Dylan was tucked up in bed, I sat and fed Edith while Martin and his mum did the dishes and tidied away the condiments in the back garden. Then, with Edith stuffed full of breastmilk, Martin and I took off for Scunthorpe to go watch Transformers. It was our first time out alone together since Edith was born, and we really enjoyed it.

The day was hard work--no lie. I fell in to bed at around 1 am and could have slept all day on Sunday. But Martin had a great birthday. It was worth all the effort I put in to it to see him enjoying his party and know that I helped him to have a wonderful time.

I'm glad this only happens once a year!

The day was so full that I never even had a chance to miss home.