29 is so fine

the dinner crew

mollie being silly

ryan being silly

jme & emilio save their smiles

hun eating people

there are a few reasons why i LOVE birthdays, especially mine :)

1. it's a day completely dedicated to YOU!

on my birthday, i took the day off from work. i ran, ate yummy focaccia, shopped, hiked, and hung out with my favorite west-coast friends. this was everything i normally like to do throughout the course of a week, but i did it all in ONE DAY!

2. people shower you with love and affection, they tell you all day long why you are so great and important to them, and to the world.

throughout the day, i received 700 messages, phone calls, and texts from friends, family, and loved ones. it is so wonderful to feel love like that throughout the day. i wish people did this all the time! (oh, and mom pretends to go through labor with me every year, which is amazing too)

3. you get to re-visit yourself, and renew yourself for the year to come.

each year, i really value the time that birthdays provide to reflect on the year gone by, think about your expectations, appreciations, regrets, and renew yourself for the future. each year, my list remains the same, and my life takes its own course. i was sitting at the top of my favorite mountain yesterday, closing my eyes under the sun, and i made the decision to leave my wishes aside, and instead to live everyday with the same intentions of love, health and happiness.

i had a fantastically mellow birthday this year, and the celebrations will continue throughout the weekend. i feel happy, and that's a great thing!

love to all,
alis

thank you mama for the cake!