for my {28th} Birthday...

This year for my birthday, I decided to throw myself a little shin-dig and invite some of my closest, dearest friends from Starbucks (five couples total). These chicas have made my move to Washington so great! These are the girls that I work with in the early mornings...they're the first to see me at 4:30am, before I've had my coffee. hallalua! We drink a lot of coffee, share a lot of stories and share a lot of laughs. (in the mist of working of course). But, these girls are great! And being away from my family another year, it was so nice to spend my birthday with some really awesome people.

I love that Joe surprisingly bought balloons (and streamers...that we never got around to putting up)

(so yes, I have an endless amount of one-after-the-other snapshots of Rachel & I, thanks to Brent...but I love them :))

The "Starpack" as Joe likes to call us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I'm not going to lie, I was pretty spoiled this year!! I got some pretty cool, unexpected gifts. It's always a bitter sweet feeling to get birthday gifts in the mail from your family~ I get super excited to get snail mail, especially packages :) ...but it's always a sad time to not be able to share my birthday with them.

PS: Sorry for all the following pictures...I was super excited to play with my new camera :)

1. My mom got me this really cool "wine cork cage" ...you drop the corks in from the top and then it has a little hinge on the bottom where it unlatches to get the corks out. It was perfect for the Wine & Cheese party. :)
2. She also got me some fun "camping" scrapbooking stuff. ~perfect for some camping trips we have planned this year!
3. Darling little blocks from Q&M
4. Joe got me a new dri-fit shirt and some much needed running pants (I'm not used to needing warm weather work out gear!)
5. He also got me a new running watch that I Love.
6. I Love Love Love my new Canon!!
7. My friend Anna made me this really YuMmy dessert along with a birthday cake...
8. And my very own cookbook. (she is the same friend who got me an apron for Christmas...I think she's really trying to turn me into a little chef ;) )
9. And as if I haven't gotten enough already...I got a few gift certificates (one for a pedicure and one to JoAnns)

(3 different bouquets to be exact!)

...and 2 home cooked meals and 3 birthday cakes!

I know what you all are thinking....and no, I'm not a princess!!!

Thank you so much to everyone that made my Birthday so special this year!

xoxo