Today is my birthday.
I am twenty-nine.
Can someone tell me how I got so old?
Twenty-nine seems kind of old to say, but it doesn’t really feel old at all.
Mostly, I still feel twenty-five. Sometimes I even feel twenty-two.
Anyways, it’s my birthday today and if I can make this year anywhere near like the last twenty-nine, then I guess I’ll be doing something right.
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The best part of today is that it’s my mom’s birthday, too. I’ve always loved that about us.
Happy birthday, Mom. I LOVE YOU!
13. Have a BBQ. Send invitations.
WE DID IT. We had a backyard BBQ and it was a complete success. High fives!
This is something I’ve been wanting to do since I discovered the potential of our backyard. I didn’t think too much of what we had back there in the fall, but once the spring time rolled around and the Pinterest fanatic in me started discovering the beauty of the outdoor oasis, I knew I had to make something of ours.
I sent out invites about a week and a half before we wanted to have the party, pretty sure that not a lot of people would be able to make it. I mean, it is summer after all. People have weddings to go to, things to do, people to see. I know how it is. But 35 people came + a baby! I could hardly believe it when the yeses started rolling in. WHAT?! Who knew we had this many friends! I was excited, but also started getting a little nervous, too. What if our yard couldn’t hold that many people? What if the neighbors got annoyed? Plus, I’d never really thrown a party like this before. WHAT if I didn’t have the magic touch?
Well, the party was better than awesome and, really, the night could not have been more perfect. Zan’s brother set up the iPhone to play “The Shins” radio on Pandora, which felt just right for this kind of party. The weather was amazing (it was cool and pleasant, with the most beautiful sunset), there was just the right amount of food, plenty of drinks (and then some), and having everyone there and having fun was just fantastic.
It was just the best time and I loved every single minute of it.
Here are some of the pictures from the night:
It was a good, good time, I could not be more sure of it.
Let’s do it again?! We’ve got plenty of leftover beer and the oasis is staying up throughout the rest of the summer. Feel free to come on over if you’re around! We’d be happy to hang out some more and cook up some food. We’re pros at this now, after all.
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THANK YOU to everyone who came out to celebrate summer! One for the memory books— so thanks for being a part of it!
Yesterday we were busy busy for the 4th of July.
We made yankee doodle pancakes (with raspberries and blueberries!), went out to Lincoln for a picnic with Zan’s family, stopped by a BBQ in Arlington, then hopped ourselves into Boston to join some friends on a roofdeck for the fireworks spectacular.
I didn’t take my camera with me, and for the most part, my phone stayed tucked away in my bag.
This picture is the best I’ve got, but I think it’s a pretty darn good one.
I fell back in love with Boston again last night, although to be quite honest I could never really fall out of love with this place. My bike fiasco had me wavering for awhile, but we all know this city holds my heart and it holds it tight. It was only a matter of time before I felt the fire again. The fireworks in the rain were what really did the trick.
Forever and ever and ever. Amen.
Oh, take me back!
These pictures are my favorite, I think, because they show just how much fun we had at the wedding last weekend. My friends from college are some of the best and craziest people I know. We have memories that go back to afternoons on the Quad and lazy days on the porch and hammock of our beloved “brickhouse” senior year. There are wild memories from the bars downtown and pictures to prove it all (somewhere out there!). And oh did we dance. We danced and sang and sang and danced. Glory days for sure.
It’s just such a good feeling to know that you have experienced so much with these people, and that you’ve experienced it side by side. My memories? They mean the world to me and I’m happy to have made some new ones last weekend.
You know what I love most about my friends?
No matter how much time has passed, we always pick up exactly where we left off. We don’t even miss a beat, and that is a really special thing.
LOVE YOU. MEAN IT.
Happy weekend, everyone! And happy summer to ME!
