Another year older...

... another year wiser! ;)

This past Tuesday, I celebrated my 28th birthday. Yes, I'm still a baby. Or Yes, I'm getting old. However you look at it, I embraced my birthday with open arms.

I don't like attention on me, so I was never into the whole big birthday she-bang thing (although my family & friends always wanted me to). Aside from my sweet sixteen (which was a she-bang!), I never accepted or held any large birthday parties (except for when I was a child). I don't like the spotlight on me at all. 

Intimate and private birthday celebrations are what I enjoy most.

The wee hours of the morn (a little past midnight to be exact), hubby had cut a slice of one of my favourite cake rolls and slid a small candle in the middle of it to surprise me with his own rendition of Happy Birthday to you. Also we shared a bottle of vin rouge (weird name though -- Fat Bastard) but good.

Very, very considerate of him. He's not the super romantic type, so these little things he does always gets me. It is the little things after all.  My little princess was asleep so we didn't want to wake her.

My wonderful hubby and daughter made me breakfast in bed that morning, considering hubby had to rush off to work shortly after. I was happy to have received a new white laptop that I've been eyeing and needing (seeing my current laptop was in the final stages of life and my macbook was fried) as a Birthday present. My day was calm, I didn't allow myself to do too much housework, and treated myself to a day of movies with my little one.

When the evening came, the hubs had arranged a dinner for us at my favourite sushi joint in Brampton (seriously the food is SO good, if not the best I've had) in a private little booth in the corner of the restaurant. Very intimate. The ambiance was perfect -- dim lighting, chic urban lofty architecture, beautiful asian parasol's hanging along the light fixtures, romantic music playing, and just two of us. Hubs had arranged for our daughter to stay with Grandma & Grandpa (just a block away from the restaurant which was convenient!). We asked her if she wanted to come but she insisted she go to her Grandma's. I was a tad dismal she wasn't there but then realized I wouldn't have been really able to enjoy this dinner had she been there (if you have a toddler, you will understand what I mean).

 Bring on the wine!

 Dynamite Rolls, my fave!

These baby mushroom and green onion beef rolls were amazing! 

 Had a great birthday dinner with my wonderful hubby, spent most of the time chatting & laughing about life and it's many "splendors". The one thing I fell in love with with my hubby was that he is a great conversationalist. He never runs out of things to talk about, he's very deep (never shallow convo's with him!), he's intelligent, and he's a great listener! I'm very lucky.

So after the wonderful and satisfying dinner, we stopped off at the coffee shop to have some coffee and chat a little more, then off to my Parent's home to pick up our princess.
As soon as I stepped in the door of my Parent's home, the sweet scent of banana and cinnamon filled the air.  Ava came running excitingly over to me squealing, "Happy Birthday, Mommy! Happy Birthday!" She hugs me tight and then proceeds to pull me into the kitchen.





My mother said Ava had insisted they make me a birthday cake. So they did. A banana nut cinnamon cake to be exact. Ava loves bananas. :)
Everyone sang Happy Birthday to me, and then I made a wish and blew the candle.
A touching end to my night.

Overall, it was a very special and pleasant birthday and I am again so very grateful for another year of life, health and happiness.

 J'adore la vie, indeed.