Pics from bdays past: back left - 26th when mom and dad surprised me in DC; 21st in Auburn, Cover's 21st; back center - 24th & first bday in DC, 26 before the big surprise, 21st at home because you can't just celebrate 21 once!
First of all, I AM BLESSED! Before my birthday, I knew two things to be true, 1) the older you get, the more you appreciate what you have and have had and 2) you don't want to get older! But I will tell you what, 28 has changed me! I'm not saying that I want to get older, but what I am saying is the older I get the more I appreciate birthdays - not just for the gifts anymore (because let's face it, it's no longer Barbie in her Ferrari and beach house - the gifts you get when you are mature like me are the things you need and don't want to buy yourself :) ) but because it is an opportunity for reality to slap you in the face and say, "LOOK HOW LOVED YOU ARE!". I feel like I've had an epiphany (which may just be a result of my 30's looking down and saying 'you better shape up before you get here!'); the true meaning of birthdays has hit me and I owe it all to the wonderful people in my life. Birthdays are to celebrate YOU! No, not just, "here's a button that says it's your birthday and now we will do whatever you want because we have to because it's your birthday", but truly CELEBRATING your life! And that doesn't mean let's look through an old photo album and discuss your accomplishments but LOOK WHO YOU ARE TODAY! Sure, take into account everything that you have been through to get here - both good and bad - but look at how great your life is! And I realize that this may be coming off as arrogant, especially to those of you who don't know me, but the bottom line up front is, it's true - I live a great life - and I know it's true because that's how awesome my friends and family make me feel!
Friday night Jay threw one heck of a party for me at my apartment and some great friends joined us. To bring the Gulf Coast to me since I couldn't go home for my bday, he planned a shrimp boil complete with fixin's (potatoes, corn and andouille sausage). It was delish! The weather was perfect so we ate outside on the back deck and drank cold adult beverages - homemade Bushwackers included! - and told ridiculous stories that kept us laughing well after the sun had set. (When I saw my neighbor Monday morning I asked if we had been too loud that evening and she said not at all, but that our stories that she overheard had made her laugh). We finally all came in for the birthday cake around 11, and then headed to the bars. We were hell bent on trying something new and getting off of the Hill but our old bones found their way to a nearby spot, the Ugly Mug, for dancing and more drinking. We tried to shut the place down, but it turns out we were just too old :)
Some of the wonderful friends I speak of: Allysa, Kim, [Me] Honey and Courtman
The infamous model Blue Angel - a MUST at all 'Pcola girls in DC' parties
Saturday morning came a little too quickly for me and I figured what better day than my birthday to sleep in until 11?! But the weather was once again amazing and we weren't going to let it go to waste so we headed out to Lagrange Vineyards in Virginia to do some tastings and sip on some sangria. And we did just that - we took a blanket and had some left over gourmet cheese and crackers from the party and we had ourselves a lovely little picnic through the late hours of the afternoon. (I'd also like to mention that we stopped and had Chick-Fil-A on the way to the vineyards. I realize this isn't a big deal to those of you in the south, but there are NO Chick-Fil-A's in DC and so this was a treat. They even gave me my meal for free after Jay explained to the cashier that it was my birthday, and the one thing I wanted to do to celebrate it was go to a Chick-Fil-A.) 
The crew at LaGrange Vineyards (sans Honey and Chuck)
Once our wine glasses had run dry, we headed just a bit further into Virginia to the quaint little town of Flint Hill and ate at The Griffon, a restaurant recommended by Jay who is familiar with the area. We once again enjoyed the cool temps while we sat on their deck, continuing adult beverage consumption and sharing more stories. By the time the sun set, a band began to play and warmed up with a lil' hit I like to call, "Happy Birthday, Chandler". We all shared a delicious piece of lemon meringue pie and called it a night after the hour drive back to the city. The day was nothing but relaxing, and getting out of the District and away from the hustle and bustle of the city was exactly what we all were looking for.
Enjoying the evening at The Griffon
Sunday came and I realized that people had other things to do than just celebrate me... a hard fact we all must face at some point in our lives :) After a day of shopping, Jay took me out for a hibachi dinner - a birthday tradition of the Yonges' that has been around forever, but one that I hadn't been able to partake in in the last several years.
So as you can see, it was quite the weekend. Just perfect. I hope you all have birthdays that are just as fabulous as mine and that your friends and family make you feel as wonderful about yourself as mine do! And for those of you who still dread your birthdays, BE HEALED! It's not about getting older or getting loot - it's about taking a look around and seeing how BLESSED you are!
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