ruby jubilee

a ruby jubilee

was held this weekend in provo, utah to honor

my beautiful mother in law on her 80th birthday,

a matriarch in a regal, most noble sense of the word.

i hardly know where to begin to describe the magnitude of this glorious event.

the guests:

mervyl, gerry and their seven children with their spouses as well as sixteen of their
twenty-two grandchildren 

were in attendance, arriving from across the globe as well as just down the road: 

south africa, london, germany, california, colorado and utah.

it was amazing to be altogether again and those that weren't there,

we missed you!

friends through the decades to equal 100 were also there to celebrate including 

some of mervyl's dearest girlfriends from south africa.

the venue:
the birthday celebration was held in the back garden of daughter tessa on the foothills
of towering "Y" mountain within walking distance of another daughter, laura's
home as well as mervyl and gerry's.
surrounded by never ending gardens and landscaped terraces with a waterfall and stream
cutting through, it is and has been the location of many, many family events including
a granddaughter's wedding last summer
and has a history with the cousins as the place to: jump on the tramp, work in the garden,
swim in the pool, play basketball, hot tub, parkour, gather round the campfire.......
a place rich in family history.

the food:

one of the many gifts that mervyl is blessed with and bounteously shares

is beautiful food.  she is a natural, she is passionate, she has a gift.

her wish for this night was for her family to assist her in creating and serving

favorite and beloved south african dishes she has made for her family
and friends through her lifetime.  

luckily, we are a big family!

beloved meyer dishes on the menu

boerewors

coronation chicken (check out the history)

sausage rolls

scotch eggs

trifle

fruit salad

melk tert

pavlova

welcome, i'm glad you could make it............

the queen with her king.  the two eldest princesses either side, the two princes next

with the three youngest princesses between them.

what would be the first menu item a south african family would serve - boerewors.

south african men at the braai.

paul delivered the special spices and recipe to our neighborhood butcher who made up

the boerewors.

a royal granddaughter and ruby red tables.

handsome grandson and son in attendance.

three royal granddaughters.  margo and julia were the event planners as they are professionals!

passing on to the next generation.  brilliant.

more royal cousins and 

a royal prince.

the youngest princes.

granddaughter nicole.

my mother and mervyl are good friends.  how lucky i am to have these two for my mothers.

granddaughters nicole and gabrielle.

the night ended with a heartfelt and worthy speech to this great woman by paul

and a classic dessert table spread.

happy, joyous birthday, mervyl.