When Beau and I chose June 2 as our wedding date, I knew it'd be a good anniversary date. I've always been a summer girl and feel like my best self when springtime turns over to summer. I've also been either a student or a teacher since I was six years old, so summer break has been something I've looked forward to for 27 years! And, it just so happens that June 2 is also the day Beau and I went on our very first date, and pretty much walked away knowing we were going to spend our lives together. So when June 2 happened to be a Saturday, it sealed the deal for us.
The only "issue" is that Beau's birthday falls just two days later. Beau made sure I knew what this would do to overshadow his special day, but I've spent the last eleven years proving him wrong. When we picked our wedding date, I'm pretty sure he had no idea the celebration-loving, experience-making, fun factory of tradition his sweetheart was going to be. And if he had any clue at all, it was before kids were involved!
Beau wanted to go hiking for his birthday, so we took off after church last Sunday and drove to Backbone State Park in Strawberry Point. We hadn't been to Backbone in years and thought the kids had reached the age where we could actually hit some trails and see some stuff. And fortunately, Mila loves a good celebration about as much as her mom, so she put on her big girl pants because she knew it'd make her daddy happy! We walked along the Backbone State trail on the prettiest of days, discovering walking sticks, hollowed out trees that fit both kids, and several detours that took us off the beaten path and down to the shallow banks of the river, where we lost our shoes and dipped our toes in the icy cold water. The kids did great, especially Cruz who turns into quite the nature boy when we hit the woods, and our adventure made us excited for even bigger forests to tackle later on this summer.
Mila's hiking attire sure made us laugh!
The hidden treasure Mila found in a cave. She's been calling it her magical amulet ever since. I smile to think of the person who planted this little treasure in just the right place for a princess-loving girl to discover!
After lots of steps put on the fitbit, we found nachos and ice cream treats at a cute little shop by the campground and lake. We let the kids play in the sand and on the playground, checked out the sleeping bats at the top of the little watchtower, and drove through the rest of the campground to see if it might be a fun place to call home for a weekend.
Beau officially turned 37(!) on Monday, the day before Cruz's last day of school. Mila helped me make things special for our birthday boy. We made a chocolate cola cake from, you guessed it, Magnolia Table Cookbook, painted a sign to decorate the living room, wrapped a few gifts, and set up two new camp chairs that would hopefully replace the existing two that Beau so vocally despises. Then we picked up Cruz and headed straight to Dollar Tree for just one more very important birthday tradition. Since Cruz could talk, I've been letting them wander the aisles of Dollar Tree in search of the perfect gift for their special daddy. And this was the first year they actually picked out something for their dad! Usually, it's something well-justified as to why it would serve a purpose for them and him. But this year, he was gifted with TWO coffee mugs, TWO trophies for his office, and some peppermints and gummy bears. It sure helps that Father's Day is also this month!
After gifts and an A+ rating on my new outdoor chairs, we went to one of our new favorite places to eat in the Cedar Valley. Wilbos in Downtown Cedar Falls has everything I love about an eating establishment. It's nailed the popular "fast casual" approach to dining, has locally sourced AMAZING burgers, and their simple menu pairs so well with their unique, upscale drink and milkshake menu. And it's well-lit, full of brick, super trendy, and eye-pleasing for someone who cares about the details. The four of us love sitting in one of the two booths in front of the big windows on Main Street, and I always feel like I'm in Chicago or some other city when we're there. It's Cedar Falls' new best kept secret, but I don't want it to be a secret because I want them to kill it! So go eat at Wilbos, order a burger, some Wilbo fries (with garlic ranch), and a blueberry mojito, and you can thank me later. ;)
We finished off our night with yummy chocolate cake and some Battle Bots, and Beau later told me it was his favorite birthday yet. I told him he tells me that every year. He's easy to please, but my favorite thing in the world is making him happy. Here's to 37, babe!
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