arabian nights

on saturday night mum and dad celebrated their 4oth wedding anniversary in style with an arabian nights party. a lot of effort went into it (a lot) and it was a raging success. we had the shin-dig at the hub of the hills hall in mundaring and there was about 60 or so people there, friends and family from the last 40 years of their life.

my brother aaron (aka. kingsley shacklebolt - due to the costume) and his gorgeous little wifey katja came all the way from london for it!! it has been so nice to spend time with them during the last week and for them to get to know maddie... i can see she adores them already!!

no party is complete without one of these! haha

we had made up a photo tribute of mum and dads lives together over the years (big thanks to jamie-lee for the effort she put into it!!) and it was a big hit... so many hilarious (and embarassing) shots for all of us. then... they were dragged up to address their crowd. i am so proud to call them mine, the most wonderful parents one could have ever hoped for. i only wish they could have another 40 years together. 

my lovely doug was dressed as the magic carpet from aladdin, in my doona cover that mum and i had re-fashioned, complete with a tassel on each corner. (i am sure that later in the night it again served it's purpose as a doona cover when miss emma had a sleep in the adjoining room.) i had a sari that i was given by a wonderful indian family through work years ago for assisting on their mothers funeral.

miss maddie was beautifully behaved as always, passed around through all her aunts, uncles and grandparents... as well as a few people she'd never seen before in her life, but still managed to have a few catnaps and enjoy herself - in her little outfit that nanna made for the night.

mum had organised a surprise for everyone, a bellydancer that arrived later in the evening to do a bit of a performance for everyone and certainly got the crowd up on their feet. it was fun just watching everyone getting into it.

my dad (aka the sheik) was also presented with a birthday cake (my specialty violet crumble cheesecake) near the end of the night... yummmm

quite simply, it was a fabulous night...

and in the immortal words of frank sinatra,

"the best is yet to come!!"