November 14, 2020

As if 2020 wasn’t enough of a kicker we had a milestone birthday in our little family last month. Our very own, Dada, turned a pretty significant number!

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Many of you know I am a huge fan of birthdays, so this one had been on my mind for quite some time. About two years ago, I casually started asking Gil about his 50th birthday but was still “planning” that month. Since this was such a big birthday, I was ready to go all out! Then, we decided we were going to relocate…then…the pandemic hit. Ugh.

What’s a gal to do when big celebrations or trips aren’t an option? I couldn’t let it pass by just like any other birthday. So I patiently waited to make sure Gil would be off work and slammed plans together. I must say, it all worked out very well. Gil doesn’t really care what he does for his birthdays, so I knew whatever was planned would be fine, but I wanted this one to be special. This is why it sat in the back of my head for several years waiting to be exceptional.

Starting the Day off Right: Gifts!

While Gil got ready for the day and took Domingo on a walk, the kids and I frantically put up all the decorations we could get on the walls. I let the kids pick out balloons and decorations I usually say no to, so we had lots of fun. It’s a wonderous thing to see how much decorations can feel magical to litle kids on a special occasion.

Below you can see how well the gift giving went:

Each of their gifts shows their personalities off in the most perfect way:

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Next, breakfast tacos!

No more San Diego breakfast burritos, now we eat San Antonio breakfast tacos.

Then, Evening Announcement and Cousin Visit!

After breakfast, I told Gil that we were headed to Bourne, Texas for a much needed night away. Then, our little Cecito accidentally announced his next surprise was that his cousins were arriving soon for our first visit with them since we moved to Texas. It was cute and only a teeny bit disappointing because his facial reaction was super adorable when he realized what he had done.

When they arrived from Austin it was so wonderful to see familiar faces! I mean I knew I was excited but hadn’t realized how great it would feel to see people you have strong connections with during this pandemic thing. The visit was lovely and we couldn’t have been more thankful they were able to make a quick visit. Our conversation was mostly about all the things we will be able to do together once the pandemic is over. It lightened my heart quite a bit and left me feeling very grateful we are closer to family now.

Before We Hit the Road, There’s Cake!

While they were here we enjoyed a special cake that Gil requested. His inspiration came from a little show by the name of The Great British Bakeoff. If you didn’t know, he’s become quite a fan of this series! During one of the episodes, there was a traditional Sicilian birthday cake called Torta Setteveli that grabbed his attention. He asked if I could make it for his birthday and at first, I said yes; then I peeked at the recipe (you can see it here) and decided it was best to order it from a professional. For sure, it was the right decision:

After that deliciousness, we said our goodbyes and headed out the door to start the second half of our birthday fun! Dropped the kids off and set our GPS to The Ye Kendall Inn in Bourne.

A Night in Bourne

When we arrived we noticed there was a market closing up in the town square across the street from our hotel. It was so cute and elevated my excitement, plus eased my concern about choosing this unknown destination. We were definitely in the right place.

Everything at The Kendall was adorable. Plus, they offered us a complimentary bottle of champagne since we were celebrating a birthday. Score! My favorite decor elements were the cute sitting area outside of our room and the rolling door cover that had a barn door lock from the inside. See for yourself, below, just how super cute it is!

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Dinner at Cibolo Creek Brewing Company

After settling into the room we went set out on foot to walk around town and grab dinner. Bourne is one of the most quaint towns! As we were walking around and eating dinner we kept discussing the possibility of buying a house there. Would we like to be this far away from the city? Is it more expensive out here? I wonder how the schools and neighbors are here? To say the least, we were taken by this little place.

Our dinner was good, but the beer was better. I thoroughly enjoyed two dark beers, eating slowly and rediscovering how fun it is to chat with my husband where we can focus on just us. We continued the evening with thae bottle of champagne I mentioned earlier and an uninterrupted movie. I’m now completely on board with the realization that bliss looks very different throughout all these stages of life.

The Next Day

The next morning we walked down the block for some super amazing coffee and breakfast at Dienger Trading Company. Afterwards, we walked around the market in the town square and got a few keepsakes to remind of us the nice night away we had for Gil’s 50th birthday in our new state.

Despite things feeling upside down in the world this birthday was a success. The night in Bourne was just what we needed to relax and reconnect. I’m looking forward to the next time we can make our way up there.

Below are the rest of the photos I took of our hotel grounds:

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It felt like home to have my big camera out, again.