Here's to 34!

I turned 34 on Monday, June 26th, and frankly, I feel old. I have four kids, gray hairs, creaky knees, and a mortgage. And thinking back, I can't even remember where I celebrated half of my birthdays. I'm sure I did, I just can't remember. So here's to 34! Maybe if I blog it, I'll remember it come next year this time... 

Kylene had us over for a yummy Sunday pre-birthday dinner, and since I didn't have to cook or clean up the meal, that was a pretty wonderful gift on her part. I provided the birthday cake, which was a pretty decadent chocolate Oreo ice cream cake with dark chocolate ganache.

Here she is in all of her glory. The ganache was pretty dark, which was just right for me, but the kiddos weren't too big of fans. Oh well. More for me!

Monday morning we took everyone to my favorite brekkie place called Snooze. It was surprisingly busy for a Monday morning, so we had to wait a little bit, but eventually we got seated out on the patio and enjoyed a nice family breakfast together!

I had told Jon that my one request for my birthday was to have a "Beach Day" like back in the olden days of North Carolina. Kind of hard to do when you're landlocked and surrounded by prairie grass and mountains, but my hubby delivered and found me a beach! I didn't specify it had to be an oceanfront beach, so in a pinch a lake would do.

We headed about 30 minutes away to Chatfield State Park where there is a huge reservoir, and online it was said to have "the nicest beaches in Colorado." And you know, it was a pretty nice beach, and it was really HOT outside!

I got to relax in my trusty old beach chair, the kids played in the sand and in the water, and all we were missing was a boat.

Zach-O had fun burying Leah in the sand. 

Thanks Vacation Jon (when he wears that hat he automatically transitions into vacation mode-- or so he says) for finding me a beach on my birthday!

We played for a couple of hours and then hurried home to shower and get ready for our date night. That was my second request (so I guess I didn't just have one like I referenced earlier)-- NO KIDS at dinner. And for my third request, all I wanted was this amazing death by chocolate cake at Maggiano's. I guess I made a lot of requests on my birthday, but I did just limit it to one day (instead of 4 like last year), so I'm getting better.

We had a very relaxing night out and even ended with a trip to Athleta (my favorite!) just for kicks. I guess you could say it was like the PERFECT day. Thanks to so many family and friends for making me feel so special, and Happy Birthday to me!