I turn 34 today, and the older I get, the more I know what’s truly most important in life: the very best things in life are simply the people in it – and the ways that they know you and love you. I am so, so deeply blessed to have the most incredible husband, family, and friends imaginable, and I realize with each passing moment and each passing year just how deep of a gift they are to me. When the world seems upside down and life seems unpredictable, hard, unknown, or scary, I know that I can always, always count on my people. I know I am so fortunate and so blessed simply because of how the Lord has provided me with such incredible people in my life, and I hope I never take a second of them for granted. With each passing year, I hope and pray that I love my people with my whole heart, that I unapologetically become more and more the woman God made me to be, and that His light shines through me.

I asked my sister (my lifelong best friend!) if she had any ideas for a birthday blog post, and she suggested that I share about my perfect, ideal day. I love this idea (and am really glad she is so creative and thoughtful!) and started brainstorming immediately. When I thought about my perfect day, the very first thing I thought of was WHO would I spend my dream birthday alongside. That definitely shows you just how important relationships and friendships are to me: my ideal day really revolves around the people I would get to spend time with (and food, of course). Without further ado, here’s a snippet of how my perfect day would unfold…

Morning: I would wake up around 7:30am (without an alarm clock and with the sun shining brightly). Rob and I would spend some time waking up, cuddling, and talking together, and then I would magically have clean hair and curled hair already. (I shower every morning, and it takes me forever to dry and style my hair; I’d simply love to avoid it altogether!) I’d throw on a cute, breezy dusty French blue and white striped sundress, rattan earrings, and a hint of lip gloss – that combo makes me feel beautiful, confident, and myself. I would do my quiet time (prayer, reading the Bible, my gratitude journal, and then a few minutes reading a great book) in bed with Rob while drinking an iced chai latte with the windows open, a light breeze coming through, and Rob by my side. I would then open birthday cards from loved ones, since words of affirmation – and sending and receiving cards – are my love language. Then we’d go downstairs and our house would be bustling with all of our immediate families in one place! We’d have both sets of parents, our siblings and their spouses, and our two nephews and one niece all together for the first time since our wedding, relishing this slightly chaotic but totally blissful time together. Everyone would be chatting and laughing and playing with the kids (is there a better sound than the laugh of a toddler?!), we’d be in and out of the kitchen prepping for brunch, coffee would be brewing, and you could just feel the love in the room. All of us would sit down at one long table for brunch together, and I would have set the table with my favorite dusty blue, white, and blush linens, napkins, and dishes. We’d have several bouquets of fresh flowers down the middle of the table, some happy music in the background, and so much great conversation and laughter. For brunch, we’d have mimosas (with mango juice) and coffee, chicken biscuits from Chickfila, almond croissants, fresh fruit, and bacon, since calories most definitely don’t count on your dream birthday! After a sweet, lovely brunch (with plenty of cute interruptions by the kiddos), we’d play and read with the kids in the living room, lounge around and talk, go on a walk together, and play in the yard in the sunshine, since it would be 74 degrees and sunny with a light breeze.

Afternoon: After such a wonderful start to the day with our families, I would gather all of my best friends, their husbands, Rob, and my sister and her husband for an afternoon at a winery together! Since we can clearly make it to Pippin Hill Winery in Charlottesville with the snap of a finger on a dream birthday, we’d spend hours there enjoying and savoring our time together. We’d all do a wine tasting together, enjoy the gorgeous views of the mountains, order plenty of bottles of wine to share, and indulge in lots of delicious snacks and cheese and charcuterie boards. To me, there’s little more perfect than this combo: quality time with my best friends and husband, drinking wine, making memories, and enjoying cheese and charcuterie boards. It would be a dream come true to have all of my best friends in one place and laughing and talking for hours on end.

Late afternoon: After our winery outing, I would arrange for an indulgent spa visit with my mom and my sister while all of the guys played golf together! (This would be a dream for all of us, I think!) I’d enjoy some quality, uninterrupted time with my two best ladies being pampered and doted upon. We’d get massages and manis/pedis together and have time to talk and catch up in person. It would be the perfect girly, fancy afternoon for the two most deserving and amazing women! And since we’re dreaming here, I’d also surprise my parents with two weeks at Ocean Isle Beach for a sweet anniversary getaway for them, and I’d surprise my sister and her husband with a romantic overnight getaway for the two of them while Rob and I got to babysit their son!

Evening: Rob and I would head to The Obstinate Daughter in Charleston (since we could snap our fingers and be there!) for the ultimate birthday dinner experience and one of the best meals of all time. Rob and I would look so smashing all dressed up for this special date night, and I would change into a fancier dress that makes me feel confident and beautiful, block heels, statement earrings, and a bold pink lipstick. We’d hold hands as we strolled through the streets to arrive at our dinner destination, and we’d have a private booth in the back along the windows for our celebratory dinner. Rob and I would start with a champagne toast and then indulge in a French 75 or St. Germaine cocktail (or two) while we shared the most incredible salad, pasta, and pizza dishes. We’d talk nonstop, as usual, hold hands, dream about our future, reminisce on our love story thus far, and enjoy special quality time together. We’d share a birthday dessert together before heading out for a stunningly vivid and romantic sunset stroll along the beach while listening to the crashing of the waves and thanking God for this life and His creation.

Night: Rob and I would snap our fingers and be back home, and I would walk into the front door to a surprise party – my favorite! Of course, this isn’t just any surprise party: it would be a pajama party! All of our closest loved ones – family and friends – would be waiting for us back home, and we’d curl up for a cozy night in together. They would surprise me with a birthday cake (or a chocolate peanut butter mousse pie!) with dozens of lit candles, and then we’d spend the rest of the night drinking champagne, playing games, and talking for hours on end. It would be the perfect way to wrap up my ideal day and ideal birthday, for sure. I simply love being surrounded by loved ones and spending quality time together, creating new memories. This all sounds so, so incredible to me!

Whew! That was definitely a lot – and also felt like a very real peek into what I truly love the most. I hope you loved reading along and seeing what would be included in my perfect, ideal day! I had so much fun dreaming up all of these details and piecing together so many dream adentures and moments. Now I am so, so curious to hear from you! How would YOU spend your perfect day? I’d love to hear what you would include in your ideal day, so please share with me!