Dawes Family in New Zealand

Happy Birthday Bethany

The years seem to be flying by now, Bethany is 6 years old on the 22nd December – 6 years old!! She was only 2 when we moved to NZ and that seems like a lifetime ago now – and oh how she has grown!

Every year we try to decide when is best to have her birthday, the last few years we have just pretended it’s her actual birthday a few weeks earlier, we have the celebrations, the party and then it’s over – and onto Christmas. But of course as she gets older she also gets smarter and knows the date of her birthday and the fact we are planning earlier. However, that doesn’t matter, you offer her a day of presents and a party and she couldn’t care less when it actually is at all!

So this year we opted for the party to be on the 13th December. If you are a regular reader you will know that since starting work I have found it difficult to be as organised and be as articulate as I normally am. I am quite disappointed in myself lately to be honest as major events that would normally occupy my very being seem to have passed me by, and it has meant some apologies.

This time of the year also brings all of Bethany’s school friends birthdays too, her class are all of similar ages and so we can pretty much guarantee it’s party time November to February - right through every weekend!

On the Sunday morning we were woken by a very eager and excited Bethany just before 7am, how she had managed to contain herself so long we will never know! She wanted to be up and so we clambered out of bed all fuzzy eyed and started opening presents from our family and friends in the UK. We cannot thank everyone enough – you are all so amazing, so lovely and we are so fortunate you love us as dearly as you do. Bethany is one VERY lucky little girl. We had a great morning playing with presents and enjoying breakfast together before we had to get ready for the party.

Bethany has a little best buddy called Logan. They have been friends right from the days they went to Kindergarten together, and then to attend the same school and end up in the same class was wonderful! Since I started work, Emma, Logan’s mum, has been an absolute saviour. She has had Bethany at her house after school many nights and really taken the load off – and it’s nice to say that we have all made lovely friends in the process too.

So Logan’s birthday is officially the 21st December, and with Bethany’s being the 22nd – well it made perfect sense for them to share a birthday party this year, so that’s what we did!

And a magical event it was too! We hired the school hall, we organised entertainment and Emma and her husband Tim organised the catering. Between us we decorated and invited many many friends. At one point we were quite worried as we had literally let Bethany and Logan ‘go free’ and give out invites as they wished!

However everything went amazingly well, we must have ended up with 50 children in the end! And despite our fears that we might have too much space that wasn’t the case, and Bethany and Logan adored meeting and greeting friends and then running around wildly playing with them.

Our entertainment arrived in the form of our gorgeous friends Zappo and Zappolina who made the show extra super special just for Bethany’s birthday. Bethany loved being up front and being part of the show, it really made her day, the video below shows the pure delight in her eyes and it actually looked like she was part of the show! Thank you Zappo and Zappolina – you guys are amazing. If you want to book them please click here to view their website!

Everyone was so generous with the gifts and Bethany really did get a lot of lovely precious stuff. I was personally overwhelmed that everyone was so generous, especially at this time of the year. Our gorgeous talented friend Alina (of Little Fish NZ) gave the gift of a personalised painting – it was of Bailey and Denver!! Our mouths dropped open when we saw it – Alina is awesome and so very talented.

All in all a magical, perfect day. The party was easy and fun, the children so happy and well behaved. We had friends come from all areas of Wellington (many getting lost in the process!) to be there and that meant the world to see them and that our connection is still strong despite the fact our children do not get to see each other so much anymore.

Happy Birthday Bethany, you are the most adorable wonderful child anyone could ever ever ask for – you amaze us in ways we never thought and we are so very proud of our big Kiwi girl. We love you our darling girl.