30th birthday highlights

A year late, but here they are. The highlights of my thirtieth birthday celebrations:

Starting from the top left: running the Reindeer Run around Lake Harriet with good friends, the weekend before my birthday; free birthday week car wash at the fabulous Downtowner in St. Paul; waking up at 5:30 am on the morning of my thirtieth birthday for a reflective, soul-refreshing walk around Lake of the Isles; tucking into a calorie-rich dessert at Pizzeria Lola at my birthday dinner with Kevin; birthday cupcakes with Kevin and my sister and Alex on the morning of my birthday; birthday decorations on my birthday morning; accidental rainbow outfit worn out and about on my birthday; picking out my birthday gift - a kitchen appliance! - with Kevin at Macy's; the winter wonderland Kevin lovingly created for my birthday party; birthday cocktails and karaoke with Kev, Mel, and Alex at El Mariachi in Minneapolis; a totally sober Melissa having a blast at El Mariachi (my sister is awesome); birthday balloon photo shoot; post-drinks dance party in the basement; birthday popcorn - my favorite food group! - from a dear friend; birthday party photo booth; gorgeous ombre birthday cake; drinks with my sister (hers was nonalcoholic, as she was about 4 months pregnant at the time); awesome work friends at my party; with my gorgeous friends, Katy and Adri; Kevin and the boys, Chad and Barry; group shot 1; group shot 2; hamming it up with the awesome giant number balloons; Alex rocking out with Lola; birthday song! 

A wonderful way to enter my thirties! Thirty was a complicated, difficult, wonderful, transformative, healing, emotional, and exciting year for me. I already love this decade, and I know that becoming a mama this year is only going to make it even more complicated/exciting/emotional and AWESOME. 

thirty!

You guys. I turned thirty. 3-0. Proof:

I had so much fun celebrating my birthday week, which began with a 5K and brunch, had some margaritas and Spanish karaoke in the middle, and ended with a cocktail party at our place. More on the celebrations, and my thoughts on turning thirty, later.

THIRTY!

reasons to celebrate

Life is so good! It is such a wonderful, delightful, beautiful thing to see the people one loves experience abundant joy in their lives.

Congratulations to Molly and Patrick, who were married on 10.4.08! May your lifetime together be filled with with "puddles of purple passion" (it's the message that came with the gift that my favorite great-uncle gave Kevin and I for our wedding), family, love, celebrations, and joy. We love you guys.

And, we welcome with love and exictement, Olivia Ann Putnam! Born on 10.9.08 at 12:55 pm, weighing a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz., to our dear friends Jon and Alyson. Congratulations, Putnams! We are over-the-moon-happy for you two and can't wait to meet your beautiful little girl. Our love and hugs to the three of you.

Life is so so good.

sister in love

I thought I would share these pictures of Mel and Alex on the day they got engaged. I am so excited for them! Congratulations to two beautiful human beings. A lifetime of love to you two. 

love is in the air

Speaking of recently engaged people I love - our dear friends, Sarah & German, got engaged a couple of months ago! I have to post this beautiful picture of them, taken during our wedding weekend. 

These are two of my favorite people in the world and I can't wait to celebrate their big day with them.