It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To!

Well it is my birthday but I am not crying.  I love my birthday.  I have great memories of my birthday growing up.  My Mom and Dad always made a big deal over birthdays, and I can feel the excitement I had as a child as the big day approached.  One of my most memorable birthdays was the year I celebrated my 8th birthday.  

That summer we celebrated at my Grandma and Grandpa's house (Dad's mom and dad) on Pender Island.  Pender Island is one of the gulf Islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island.

Taking the ferry was nearly as much fun as visiting Grandma and Grandpa.  My parents use to let us loose to do whatever wanted until the Captain came on the loud speaker telling everyone to get back to the cars.  Playing on the ferry was so much fun.  We would buy candy, run around on the decks outside, play hide and seek, and roam the insides.  Looking back I think my parents probably enjoyed it too since they were basically left alone as long as we didn't get into trouble.

(Grandpa and Grandma's house -note those are not my grandparents)

I loved Pender and everything about it.  I have always felt most at home and relaxed at the ocean.  My grandpa's house was amazing and he built it himself.  It was very eclectic and I can still picture the swinging doors to the kitchen, the pattern in the carpet, the strange oven that my mom loved,and the decks with a view worth millions.

The view.

This was my absolute favorite spot at their house.  

The hot tub.  

Grandpa's Arbutus tree,  

I loved to peel the bark and Grandpa used to get so upset at us for wrecking his tree.  Outside was so much fun too.  

Climbing down the path to the beach to look for rocks, sea glass, and tiny black crabs.

Nick and I with our fish.

Anyway back to my birthday.  So this birthday was notable for a number of reasons.  First, I don't think I had ever had a birthday there before and I was so excited.  Second, my grandpa asked me to go out on his boat to go fishing for the first time.  It was really fun to go out on the boat and use the fishing rod with my dad, my brother, and my grandpa.  After catching our first fish, I reached out before my dad could stop me and touched the fish with my bare hands and it really hurt.  I don't know if it was a barb, a stinger or what but it hurt.  We caught two fish that day and we brought them back to show everyone.  You can see one of the two fish we caught in the above picture.  

(Amanda, Me, Teresa, and Nick) Ready for out fish dinner.

My excitement from the fishing expedition ended quickly that afternoon when my Grandma told me we would be eating our catch for dinner.  I don't eat fish, I can't stomach it.  Not now and certainly not then.  Makes me sick just thinking about it.  I was so upset as only a 8 year old can do well at the proposition of eating fish for her birthday dinner.  But it din't matter, Grandma was adamant that if we caught it then we would eat it and serve it she did.  But I didn't eat it.  

Blowing out the candles with Teresa looking on.  

Yes that is an angel food cake which is my absolute favorite.

Amanda, Chico (dog), Me, and Nick

Can't have a birthday without presents.  I think my bad attitude from dinner was still lingering because I remember opening my gift from grandma and grandpa and not really looking at it.  I think it was something really boring like clothes.  I must have put it down quickly and moved on to the next gift.  All I know is my mom was mortified and upset.  She took me downstairs and told me I was been awfully rude and ungrateful for the present that I needed to go back upstairs and say thank you properly.

The rest of the trip went very well and was a lot of fun.  Makes me long for the ocean.  But's it's all good since we are going for a picnic to the beach this evening.  But we are not having fish.