Happy 23rd Birthday Henry xxx

In a cloud of dust kicked up by the dark Toyota 4Runner, my sister Caroline and her family arrived at our campsite, coming in from Las Vegas. It felt surreal. Eleven short days ago I was chatting with her in her kitchen back in the UK. Since then, I returned to the U.S. and we began our Grand Adventure Road Trip. She then set off with her family on her 50th birthday holiday to America. And so our two worlds collided in the Mojave Desert on a blazing hot Monday afternoon.

After a tour of the trailer and lots of hugs, we set off to cool down at the pool. We had a lazy, leisurely afternoon catching up. It was great to see Kim and Simon chatting and the hilarious banter between cousins. Henry loved seeing Will and Maddie who he had not seen for a number of years due to Covid, work and travel limitations. It was just the most blissful afternoon and I loved every minute of it.

Later we met up for dinner at the Tropicale Restaurant in downtown Palm Springs. More chat and a delicious meal before retreating to bed.

The next morning we met up again for a final goodbye and breakfast together at the Denny's diner just off the I10. We each shared three gratitudes, mostly around family, health and good fortune. We took a moment to send love to absent family members. Louise and Lynda love Denny's so we immediately thought of them, plus of course Mum and Dad are always on our minds. 

Waving goodbye was hard. They set off on the next phase of their holiday- Los Angeles and then Hawaii. Fantastic.

I will never forget our lovely, unexpected, surreal rendezvous in the desert.

Family is everything.

Henry turned 22 years old.

I can hardly believe it.

22 years ago, I went in to the Specialist's Center in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia for a C-section delivery. Henry was stood bolt upright in my tummy, like a soldier standing to attention. His feet had been kicking my bladder relentlessly for months, or was it years, and his head was lodged between my ribs. It felt like he was sprawled leisurely across my entire body. We knew he was going to be tall as the measured length of his femur was very long, especially so in Malaysia. Turns out the measurements were right. 

Kim was given the task of delivering Henry by Dr. Loh. I had an epidural but was very awake for every single moment. Albinoni's Adagio was playing at his birth. It was calm but full of joy and a little tearful. What a beautiful day, the day our boy was born. Best day of my life.

After he was born, many of the nurses in the hospital came to kiss the baby with the bright blue eyes for luck. We were the lucky ones ❤️