Grandpa Paul's 80th Birthday

This is RM's Great Uncle Paul, but we call him "Grandpa Paul".  We celebrated his 80th birthday several weeks ago in April. 
We were told that it would be a "small backyard barbecue" for just close family & friends. 

This is what RM's family call a "small backyard barbecue".   I always look forward to having a feast at RM's family gatherings.  The food was spectacular.  There was roast pig, an array of sea food dishes, barbecued tri tip, an assortment of  Polynesian dishes,  a dessert table, and a Candy Bar.

And in the Polynesian culture, it's important that not only are your guests well fed,
but that there's also plenty of left overs for your guests to take home.
A party is considered a success if there is leftovers.  

They set up a tent in the backyard.  The tables were decorated with white linen table cloths, centerpieces were flowers from the backyard garden.
 And no paper plates for this barbecue- the family's best china and  silverware were used. 





No party is complete without family entertainment.  Pictured here is Grandpa Paul's granddaughters.


 

Just some of Grandpa Paul's descendants.

 

The Birthday cake was made by RM's Aunt Tangi- a talented baker.

We were given an entire tier to take home and eat.
 I took one slice for RM and I to share and put the rest in the freezer to be eaten at a later time... we  ate the rest two days later.

Grandpa Paul is a retired police officer.  It was great to hear stories about his days in the police force and to share the milestone birthday with him.  He is sharp as a tack and I got a feeling that he'll be around for his 90th birthday.

(pictured right to left :RM's brother Greig, his wife Racheal, Grandpa Paul, me, & RM)