Aw my Julius. After Frith passed away, Mum and Dad and I would frequently say “thank God for Julius.” In those very dark days and weeks and months, he was our shining light who was, and still is, just full of joy and kindness and all things good.

His birthday week is coming to a close and it has been an absolute cracker. We had a few people over on Saturday afternoon, and the weather, unlike last year, was absolutely spectacular.

I worked on the cake on Friday for a couple of hours and it turned out pretty well! Couldn’t quite get the shape of the head and face how I wanted it, but Julius loved it so that’s a win!

He was thoroughly spoiled with gifts and even though he was fighting a bit of a cold, he powered through the day.

We didn’t do a posed family photo this year, but this one really captures the essence of the day, and of our family.

As the afternoon turned into evening, Grumpy fired up the BBQ and we lit the brazier and settled in for some delicious burgers.

I was chatting to a couple of friends yesterday about how I really love Julius’ birthday, as it’s a few months away from the rest of us (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb!) so I’m not birthdayed-out, and I’ve re-energised a bit, so having 30+ people over for a party is a real pleasure. I think it’s safe to say we all had a fantastic day, celebrating my baby, and now we prepare for Grumpy’s birthday week starting tomorrow!