birthday week

since i started dating philip, he's always insisted on celebrating my birthday not as a day, but as a week.  growing up, i used to love my birthday b/c the parentals would always throw me fun parties, even through high school.  gotta say, i had some cool bday parties - from fun in the park where my dad dressed up as a clown to laser tagging to roller skating to sleepovers at my place where my mom cooked enough for 50 ppl to miniature golfing/bumper boats/arcades, etc.  but somewhere in my mid-twenties, i stopped liking celebrating my birthday - i guess because ultimately i didn't want to get older and oddly, i didn't like all the attention birthdays drew.  so you could imagine this year turning 30, i REALLY didn't want to do anything to draw attention to starting a new decade of life :P  all i wanted to do was spend it with family, especially with the newest addition of our kayla bear :)  i wanted to keep it low-key and simple.  of course, the huz never listens to me and did the complete OPPOSITE.  he made it a HUGE. DEAL.  i keep joking every year that he sets the bar so high for himself, there's no way he could top it the following year.  but he always does. crazy man :)

so this birthday week post will take a few posts.  had to merge a ton of pictures together so it wouldn't be so many pics and posts. 

the week kicked off with a gourmet meal - one of my all time favorite dishes he's EVER made me: brazilian shrimp.  definitely my top 5.  omgoodness, the most buttery, savory, melt-in-your-mouth dish:

the entire week, i wasn't allowed to come in the kitchen, wash dishes, or do any housework.  FTW! :)

on tuesday, philip called me and told me that he booked a 90 minute hot stone massage at our favorite local spa.  everything was taken care of, i just had to show up.  ahhhh heavenly.  90 minutes of hot, soothing, stress-relieving, much-needed relaxation.  afterward, i came home to a fully-cooked dinner, a freshly cleaned house, and a smiling, giggling baby girl so happy to see me :)

wednesday (my actual birthday) was a FULL day of celebration despite it being a workday.  my coworkers surprised me with cake, flowers, and gifts:

philip came in mid-day to deliver a huge bouquet of flowers and an embarrassing display of balloons (he always jokes that he likes to make sure all of my staff, residents, and families KNOW it's my bday...and that they did).  that night i went home to an outrageously decorated home w/things on the wall, little fake firework streamers, another huge bouquet of flowers and balloons, and a red velvet cake w/lit candles:

after i blew out the candles w/my kayla bear, philip brought out some tasty appetizers: mee-yuk gook (korean seaweed soup - traditionally supposed to eat it on your bday to bring you good luck) and KING CRAB LEGS :)  he said it was just a "tasting" before dinner.  which brings me to....a nice little surprise dinner w/friends!  we had thai, korean, american, mexican, and a YUMMY assortment of cakes :)

that's the first half of birthday week. much more to come...