This past weekend was FULL of great pals, big laughs, good times, sunshine, and amazing food. Our friend Bailey turned 30, and to celebrate we rented a beach house built to sleep 20! There were so many funny, loud, insane people all hanging out together for 3 nights, and let me tell you it was wild and amazing.

The thing that I liked the most about it was not only that everyone had a very good time and got along with each other, but also that everyone brought their own strengths to the table. Noah & Eliza were the king and queen of the kitchen - keeping us fed with not one but two delicious lasagnas, a beautiful taco night, and a cookout for the ages. We had game connoisseurs that kept the group occupied with activities and lots of laughter. We had people that were great at cleaning up, we had people that were great at keeping the fridge stocked, and truly everyone was great at having an extremely good time.

The birthday girl that brought us together in all of her glory. Ain’t she a beaut?

It was so heartwarming to see people that I have known since middle school get to know friends from Bailey’s college days and adulthood - I loved seeing connections being made and people genuinely enjoying and getting along with each other. We went out to the beach on Saturday in our white shirts and blue jeans and had our family portrait made which truly cemented the familial feel of this ultimate friendship weekend.

This is just a phone photo - there are pictures on a real camera, tripod and all, which I CANNOT wait to see. This is my “Ellen at the Oscars” picture and I love all of these faces so much.

This weekend really cemented my feeling that our 30s are going to be a wonderful decade. There are so many life changes that are happening now, we are more secure in our jobs and lives and selves - it feels like so many good things are on the way. My heart is full and I am excited for what is to come. So happy you were born Bailey, thank you for being my friend and introducing me to some of my favorite people in the world! I love you, I loved this weekend, and I love all the good things that are to come!