Birthday Happy

Today I turned 30. I've felt 30 for awhile, so that's okay, but it is a little bit strange to think you're not in your twenties anymore.

This year was a little different because we were all getting ready to go to New York, so I didn't do the normal day at the lake or dinner with my family -- instead, I took off work and spent the entire day doing whatever I wanted. Nobody else to please, no expectations, no pressure to be social, just 100% blissful freedom. A day off.

Don't get me wrong -- I love my birthdays with my family, and if I didn't do that, I'm not sure I'd feel like it was my birthday at all. But not having anything scheduled on my actual birthday was a really nice break from having Things to Do all the time.

So here's one recipe for a Happy Haley Birthday. There are many.

First, take sleeping in + Clyde belly rubs. Then add some surprise strawberries and chocolate, yum.

 Mix in some food-related birthday signs (and other awesome ones, too)...

with some old people dressed like cows at lunch. 

Then you've got silly meerkats at the zoo...

and penguins...

and polar bears...

and baby elephants!

Then okay, add a couple hours at the mechanic, but I didn't even mind, because neither Michael nor I were anywhere near a computer. 

Throw in multiple bookstores, and dinner, then finish up with some reading and sleep, and you've got some birthday happy. 

 And what was better was that it was just the beginning of my vacation, so I had 9 more days before I had to get back to real life. It was like 11 days of birthday! As it should be.