Trips Under The Stars: Best B-day evah !!!

This birthday has been a fantastical one!!!
We started celebrating it early (Sunday) at my parents' house and that was already enough amazing-ness for me to take:
My mom made a fabulous dinner (as usual) but this time with my very own favorite dishes and also a gorgeous berry and whip cream, pink and white CAKE.
My parents gave me *THE* prettiest Juicy Couture purse & my sis *THE* prettiest Juicy wallet!!!!!! I know.. you are probably thinking what more could you EVER want, right!!??!?!? well that's what I thought!
After these fantabulous gifts, my mom added that she had one more "SPECIAL" gift...
WIth tears in her sweet/gentle eyes she gave me a family heirloom (yellow gold & diamond) ring that belonged to my grandmother and then her. It was such a special moment. One that truly made me feel the transition from adolescence into womanhood.
THE WHOLE NIGHT WAS SO SPECIAL AND SWEET. As well as decorating their house with festive "happy birthday" banners, my parents also decorated the dinner table with confetti in the shape of "21" and set a flashing "legal at last" button by my plate.
They are so thoughtful and sweet, and I know that I have a very special & loving family.

My ACTUAL birthday-DAY (although I woke up alone) began with embarrassment and laughter.
My lovable husband had routinely gone to work at 6:30 while I had the leisure of sleeping in until 9:30 :D ( love my life).
Once awake, and having found a chocolate cookie to call "what-the-heck-it's-my-birthday" breakfast; I admit, I was subtly looking around in the obvious "this-is-where-he-would-leave-a-card" spots in the kitchen. Not finding anything, and minimally disappointed, I took my birthday cookie and headed upstairs.........THEN, SUDDENLY.... in my peripheral view all I saw was PINKKKKKKKKKKK outside in the front yard. It took only a few blinks to realize what Brian had done:
HE HAD FLAMINGOED OUR FRON YARD; and in the middle of about 60 bobbling magenta flamingos, stood a giant sign reading "Love you bunches, Vania 21"
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! embarrassment and utter joy overcame me all at once. It was the most unique gesture anyone has ever done for me. It made me feel sooo special and most of all it reflected us as a couple: completely silly, random, funny and ... over the top! It was SUCH an amazing start to the day.

I spent the afternoon with my bff, who had to kidnap me while Brian set up yet another surprise: his b-day gift for me.
When I was allowed back in my house, Brian immediately wanted to proceed with the gifts (with no hesitation from me).
He threw 6 ballons chronoogically at me, each with something drawn on top of it.

balloon 1- "I"
balloon 2- "heart"
balloon 3- "a funny picture of me"
balloon 4- " a cute picture of Baloo"
balloon 5- "a cute picture of Frosty" (aka Moof)
balloon 6- " a scary/funny/weird/hilarious pic of me again"

He then had me open this average-sized box wrapped in "High-school Musical" wrapping paper (which is an insde joke all on its own). In this old shoe box there was a choccolate box and a mere note reading "oh well... better luck next year"
next to the shoe box was a HUUUUGE box (still wrapped in the same funny paper). I was nervous to open it, and when he made me rip the wrapping I saw a clean apple logo. *INSIDE SCREAM* and *OUTSIDE SCREAM* it was a 24" (diagonal measurement) IMAC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I believe the first words that came out of my mouth were "you are F*@#---*% crazy!"
(in a happy/shocked/ecstatic tone). I crawled onto his lap and kissed his whole face and neck. He could tell I was happy I believe because I was as giddy as a schoolgirl at candy-land.
So I am actually on my BIG BOLD CLEAN SLEEK BEAUTIFUL BRAND NEW SHINY computer right now, and LOVING IT!
I seriously have theeeeee BEST HUSBAND EVER IN THE WORLD, he knows exactly what I want and he always always gives me the best and most of all WANTS the best for me. I am so lucky, and so thankful for such a wonderful human being in my life!
God, I am overwhelmed!

There was also, another amazing surprise by my bff. When I woke up to tell her all about the flamingos (instants after I found them of course) she told me to go to our SimplyBloom blog
where she had posted an amazing tribute to me, my birthday and our friendship and colored the post with such cool behind the scene pics of me at work!!! her words, and the whole gesture was so amazing and again made my day shine brightly with happiness.

She was also amazing enough to take some cool shots of Brian and I before our dinner plans.
Me, Brian and Christine (aka: my two loves) headed to Bridgestreet for some photo-fun. She shot us for about an hour and then we met our peeps at the MELTING POT.

Although most people bailed out for some reason or another (we went from a party of 14, to a party of 8) we had an absolute BLAST, and the night flowed as smooth as the chocolate we dipped into.
My sis, my bro in-law, Christine, Seth, Tori, Devin and Brian and I ate: the creamiest cheese/white wine fondue, the most tender filet mignon, pork, & shrimp chunks boiled in broth-y goodness, gulped it all down sipping on amazing cocktails and topped it all off with "flaming turtle" & "Bailies Chocolate" fondues.... This was not a dinner, but a musical experience for our palates.

I will be updating this post with photos from the family night, the flamingoes, the mini-shoot of Brian and I and the dinner delight very very soon!!!!

I would like to conclude by saying THANK YOU to my family, for spoiling me rotten from day one and always loving me SOOO MUCH. Thank You to my wonderful husband, without you I would be lost. You are my EVERYTHING, and I have no idea how I deserved you in this life. Thank You to Christine, whom I love like a sis and always hope to know and call best friend.
Thank you to my sis for being ever so cool, such a loving mother, wife and sister and always loving me. and Thank you to m friends for being true.

I realized on this wonderful special day JUST HOW LOVED I am by those around, me. It's such an amazing feeling and I am so thankful, it's hard to express.

Love,

-V