Happy 4th of July!!

Saturday was my birthday! It was ultra relaxing. Nothing spectacular was planned - in fact, we didn't even go out to eat. It was a nice, simple day spent at home with my husband and our sweet Ilah. I got cards and lots of love and I loved the simplicity in that. My husband had been asking me what I wanted as he naturally wanted to do something, or give me something, that would make my day special. But my outlook is this: We don't wait for special occasions to gift give or dine at delicious upscale eateries - so I didn't want us to go through the motions on Saturday just because it was my birthday. We have wonderful date nights out {many are impromptu} and whenever those moments happen upon us, we embrace them as our special occasion - no matter what day on the calendar it happens to fall on : ) The saying on this mug sums it all up.

Ilah looked super cute on Sunday at church in her red, white and blue patriotic dress! When we got home, I gave her some pinwheels to play with outside and she was wowed by them twirling in the wind! It's the little things in life! Ha!

My mom gave me a macdaddy gift for my birthday!.....

This present was NOT supposed to come on my birthday. It was the only thing that I wanted for Christmas this year but my mom couldn't resist. She didn't want to hold out that long so the little beauty above became mine over the weekend!! My mom is just the best I tell ya.

I also received a package in the mail from my closest friend Jennifer. And when I say that she is my closest friend, I mean it in every sense of the word. I miss her SO much!! We always find ourselves literally crying when we read cards that one of us has sent to the other. She is a friend that I love with all my heart. She sent me a birthday package full of so many personalized things! She so knows me! As I opened up the box and started taking things out of it, I couldn't believe how she got everything to fit inside! I wanted to soak in the tub with that Martha Stewart magazine this afternoon but I thought that I would be cutting it too close with also having to finish up a few dishes for the 4th of July party that we had today at our place {lots of pictures to come!}. It's best that I saved that read for late this evening....when the house is quiet, there's nothing {and no one} to tend to, my feet are up, I'm fully relaxed - and don't have to feel like I have to rush through it in ten minutes....which, really, is a gift in itself!

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!!