It’s been a minute.

We got busy busy busy celebrating birthday weekend with the family. So, this post is going to be a massive photo dump.

When I was younger, I used to have such high expectations of what I wanted my birthday to be like and to feel like. It’s in the summer so I never got to have the typical high school experience of getting your locker decorated. Or the college experience of getting to celebrate with a dinner and night out with your friends.

I was always at home with family. And, I think, while that may have felt a little disappointing – especially in my teenage/early 20s – I have come to love being with my family on my birthday. Small and intimate. Nothing more than being with the people I love and cutting a cake.

It’s even more special with a little human on my lap who simply LOVES blowing out the candles for his mama.

We flew to Northern California the day before my birthday. My parents flew up there from SoCal. So I got to have both sets of parents and my sissy and Drew and Maya by my side as I celebrated another year around the sun.

We barbecued and watched Maya scoot around the living room. We cut cake and walked to the park and rolled all the rolly-pollies along the way.

And we got to go on a morning walk around the lake and have friends stop by for delivery dinners and quick drop-in hugs.

Now we are in southern California for the rest of the week. I impulsively purchased a water table for my parents’ backyard and I think it was THE BEST IMPULSE BUY EVER.

I never even considered buying a water table because, well, city life is real different. But this will be so nice to have when we are here. The weather is perfect and he seems perfectly content sitting outside in the backyard splashing around in the water. I don’t know why I never thought of this before.

But, clearly, it’s not too late. And it’ll be here when the other grandkids of the fam come to visit. (If Ishu doesn’t break it first. Apparently he thinks a water table is his mini pool. Ha).

Now we’ve got another warm day here in Newport, so we’ll be spending the day outside.

But, first, this mama is going to run some errands while Nani entertains this little water-monkey.

(She is currently tap dancing in the kitchen while she makes eggs for Ishu. I am sure he will be thoroughly entertained while I’m gone).

SUMMERTIME IS THE BEST.