Vicki the Viking: Happy Birthday Eva Beaver!

Today my first born and only daughter Eva, turns 29, or as she says not yet 30! It is hard to fathom that this many years have passed and that at 22 years old I became a mother for the first time.

She was a tiny little baby a couple of weeks early and just over 5 pounds

You can see how tiny she is compared to her friend Jennifer who was only a month older!

Daddy's girl!

Of course as the first born she has been traumatised a tad by the inexperience of a very young mother who didn't always have it all worked out (the boys had a better run). And as a youngin she was not happy that all I gave her to play with were brothers (she so wanted a little sister). When the last baby was born and once again a boy she promptly told me at the age of six to take him back to wherever I got him from!

and she often took the opportunity to remind me where I went wrong

According to Eva my favourite two children!

However over time and once she realised they were never going to turn into sisters, her brothers have become very much central characters in her life and she absolutely adores them all!

Jesse, Ross, Eva and Dom in Iceland on Ross's wedding night

Eva, Jesse, Dom and Ross

Ross, Eva and Dom at Nonna's

Eva behind the camera taking the photo of her boys.

First day of school.

From a very young age Eva always was the star of the show and loved taking centre stage whether it be in the kitchen, lounge or the actual real thing!

The actual real thing and absolutely lovin it!

Throughout her school years Eva pursued her love of drama, dressing up and being in front of the cameras.

As a plum pudding in a pre school production

Taking the major female role in a Christmas nativity play...grade one.

Grade 7 primary school Eva is second from the right!

However she now realises that she would rather pursue her love for drama and film behind the scenes as a producer or director.

Eva and her documentary team in China for the making of 'Footprints in Shanghai'

The teenage years were a difficult time for Eva and she is the one that my marriage breakup probably affected the most. Relationships between mothers and daughters can be difficult...I know my relationship with my mother was always a bit tense...but they also can mature into one of the closest and best friendships a woman can ever have.

Eva spent sometime trying to work out who she was and went from the cutest little girl to a complete feral teenager wearing op shop clothes...nanna petticoats on the outside, several piercings and shaving her beautiful long locks to less than an inch of its life.

The teenage years.

Eva was always a negotiator ready to make a deal or pact to get what she wants or needs. Over the years there were many of these contracts offered to us and this I think was the foundation for her future career as she now regularly negotiates contracts in her role of producer.

As I look back I see that these experiences have helped shape her into the sort of woman that can adapt quite easily to many different situations. Eva can quite happily swing between the red carpet at Cannes to camping in the middle of nowhere, to providing silver service at the oldest restaurant in London, or backpacking around Europe on ~~a mini~~ no budget. Whilst at Uni she had the chance to work on a documentary that followed students along the Canning stock route....the organisers were a little worried that Eva...who seemed pretty much the glamour queen would not be able to cope as they were camping and without toilet and shower facilities for most of the 2 weeks away...but she reassured them that deep within, a feral lurked and she could rough it with the best of them and did!

Glamorous Eva at the Cannes Film Festival

At Rules the oldest restaurant in London (Eva in the centre, so resembles her grandmother in this pic)

Backpacking!

Eva has traveled extensively, London, Morocco, Italy, China, Mauritius and France to just name a few of the stamps in her passport, she revels in new experiences, loves meeting people and being on the go 24/7. I will admit that whilst she was a teenager our relationship was always a little strained but I am so grateful that she came home to live again whilst studying, as we have now grown very close and it will be sooo hard to part.

Graduation day.

With a very proud mum!

During this time I have watched her blossom into the most confident, caring, sensitive and very capable young woman. She is hardworking, enthusiastic, passionate and strives to excel in everything she does. In a couple of days she is off to Melbourne for MIFF where her first feature as producer of Little Sparrows is screening.