Hello my dears!
I have officially completed 28 years on this beautiful earth.
Something about 28 has caused me to feel a little nostalgic, realizing it's been ten years since I turned 18. A decade of adulthood and so much has changed: immigrating to the US, completing my degree, buying a house, becoming a housewife, finding success on YouTube, having two babies in a row... it's been a wonderful journey.
I've always looked forward to being 28 because 28 has seemed like a posh age to be. Like, you're mature because your brain is finished developing and you're gearing up for 30, but you're also young enough to feel fresh and youthful. I used to imagine myself at 28 with two children and a husband, hopefully achieving some sort of creative endeavor or connecting in ministry with other women, and feeling my most stylish and beautiful.
Truthfully, I can say that many of my dreams have come true and I feel completely serene and at peace with my life. It's been a bit of a blur since 24 with YouTube and pregnancies, but things feel so settled now that I'm truly looking forward to the next decade with optimism and enthusiasm. Thank you for being here for me through it all my friend. Whether or not you realize it, I think we're growing up together.
So all this to say, I was quite looking forward to celebrating my 28th birthday.
We planned a low-key weekend at my in-laws because it was Easter weekend, and my birthday was on a Saturday, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable birthdays I've had! Husbear helped me achieve so many of my goals for 2023 and I couldn't stop smiling the whole time.
I've mentioned it in passing in vlogs, but I have a list of small goals to achieve this year. Trust me when I tell you that these goals are quite superficial, but meaningful to me nevertheless.
- enjoy a really nice dinner with my Husband
- have as many playdates as possible
- host friends at my house more often
- get more consistent on YouTube and the blog
- update my IG feed
- ride a carousel
- doing more traditional holiday activities with the kids
- go to the aquarium
- go to the zoo
- attract more birds to the house
- Ski trip to the mountains
- take a flight to see a friend
- walk in a historical town
- continue with pilates
- swim at the beach more this summer
- build a vintage purse collection
- bake cinnamon rolls
etc. etc. etc.
I basically went on Pinterest and pinned a bunch of things to a "2023" board the way I've done for 2022 and 2021. My last couple of years were much more health and baby-focused, but now that I have slightly older toddlers it was fun to think of a bunch of activities this year that would be exciting for all of us.
And this past weekend without me realizing it, Husbear took it upon himself to knock out a bunch of these goals.
I tend to chatter with him a lot on days when I'm feeling more extroverted and energetic, and I think I was explaining to him about my Pinterest board and some of my ideas for the year, not even realizing he was taking notes in his head. Fast-forward to this past weekend and I find myself riding a carousel, going out to a SUPER nice dinner, and visiting the zoo all in the span of three days.
I was happy to say the least LOL.
We were going to a big brunch to celebrate my birthday with my in-laws when he casually suggested visiting the mall afterward. I thought, "Okay, kind of strange but sure!" And before I knew it, Bodie was having the time of his life pointing out the lake trout and catfish in the Bass Pro Shop aquarium. The darling boy adored these fish and they were the most boring shades of brown and gray... I honestly can't imagine how thrilled he's going to be when he sees colorful tropical fish at an actual aquarium LOL.
He kept bringing me back to this tank and there was one fish who swam close to our faces each time.
Troy was impressed as well :)
Bodie and a very impressive fish LOL
After dragging them out of there, we meandered over to the carousel with the kids. I have to say... if you don't have set birthday plans, riding a carousel is a really fabulous way to ring in another trip around the sun. It's festive, silly, colorful, and pretty, which sums up what a birthday should be in my opinion.
We finished the morning off with soft play at the play center in the middle of the mall, which the boyos adored.
My husband enlisted his mother to get a nice grocery store carrot cake which is quite honestly my favorite type of cake in the world. They also got me enormous birthday balloons. I don't remember the last time someone bought me helium balloons and I can't describe how touched I was by that.
I opened up a couple of presents including a cat-shaped birdfeeder from Hubby and a cat-shaped teacup from my in-laws, and neither of them coordinated the gifts LOL. Apparently, everyone is aware that I will like something much more if it is shaped like a cat.
Then it was time for dinner.
I got ready and made sure I went all out, even wearing high heels!
Falsies, extra blush, and eyeshadow really finished the look! I saw a super informative Reel recently from a makeup artist who was explaining why your makeup might not look that good in photos, so I followed all her tips and it totally worked. Essentially make sure your primer, setting spray, and sunscreen are all extra, and don't be afraid to put falsies and an extra layer of everything on. It totally worked and was not too much up close.
Hubs took some gorgeous outfit photos for me which kind of covered my 2023 goal to up my IG game! I wore a coat from Modanisa I've had since 2017 and a new skirt and top. My shoes are such a steal and honestly, I can recommend them to you all (here is a link). Slingback kitten heels sometimes slip off your heels, but these have an extra strap to stay secure. I also included a rabbit key chain on my handbag because of course I had to add a tiny bit of kawaii to an otherwise elegant outfit.
Dinner was its own story and I was beyond excited to enjoy it with Hubs.
I ended up selecting the restaurant but it was fun because we both looked up places together. On the West side of the state, it's a lot more rural and undeveloped so the nice restaurants are mostly chains or overbooked hotspots. It was refreshing to find ourselves with so many options and I definitely took advantage of it. For a couple of moments, I was even considering bringing us all the way to the heart of Detroit to have a world-class seven-course meal in an old historical mansion LOL. I couldn't even believe that was an option!
So I'm lucky in the way that my husband is the perfect blend of rough and tumble masculinity while also feeling comfortable in swanky restaurants. He likes to *dine* LOL. So when I tell you this man was enjoying himself as much as me, I mean it.
Everything was made in-house and was so delicious. There were two ladies at the table next to us exclusively speaking Japanese, and a few tables over there was a group of three couples celebrating a lady's birthday with an elaborate spread and an enormous bouquet of flowers. Everyone was relaxed, the waitstaff was excellent, and we kind of just hunkered down and enjoyed our meal for a few hours.
I follow a lot of UK and European influencers on IG and YT and something I've always noticed is that they like to order an extra side of fries even if they're eating a really upscale dinner. So I made sure to do that as well and it was the perfect touch to our meal and also really nice to share something. We skipped appetizers to save room for dessert, and true to form, Hubby did not want to share a slice of cake. He never shares dessert with me which I think is so funny. He always orders two! Even if we want the same thing. It's not a germ thing either. He just loves to over-order dessert.
I had a Riesling with my salmon and a glass of dessert wine with my tiramisu. The waiter gave me a candle to blow out too LOL. I almost ordered a dinner cappuccino but my stomach was running out of space. We finished the night off with a short walk and then a film, and in total, it was the perfect birthday.
The next day was Easter and on Monday we took the kids to the zoo, so you best believe I am quite thrilled to be ticking things off my list this year! When I asked hubby why he organized a zoo trip, he said he knew I wanted to go this year. He's so cute.
I've never seen a polar bear swim like this at a zoo. It was so cool.
I bet he thought the polar bear was better than the gray fish!
I hope you all feel celebrated on your birthdays this year. Know that I'm sending you a virtual birthday hug!
xoxo,
Cait