Nobody said 33 is glamorous.

And I sure did prove that point at the beach this past week. (Say what you will, but I will always prefer a cowboy hat over a baseball cap for beachwear attire. Better coverage, less sweaty.) I don't know how women do it — look so beachy. I just end up looking like a German tourist no matter what I wear.

And that being said, the beach is not particularly kind to me, since I'm 2 shades off from a translucent blue hue, plus I require an entire bottle of 55 spf to even step foot near the water. Nevertheless, the clan meets at the same place in St. Simon's every 4th of July for a little celebration, ahem, my birthday (and the State's, of course) for a little together time. It's a cherished tradition.

As always, we biked around the beautiful marshes...



... to the pier to see if anything was caught by the fishermen.



This wasn't caught but was washed up after a storm.



Here's the door to the same place that we stay every year.



The deserted pool after a storm...



...and the Greyhound station.



And why did I post a picture of the Greyhound station, you ask?



Because the best gift that I received arrived via bus. That's my cousin Meg. Yes, 4 months pregnant and she flew all the way from DC then hopped on the Greyhound to S.S. to see me. I just love that about her... she's unstoppable. And I'm loving this picture because it looks as if we we are famous people caught by paparazzi photo fire. Ridiculous, yes?

Also ridiculous is the a chocolate on chocolate cake with cherries in the middle — and sparklers on top — that gets devoured year after year. So yummy.



Yes, nobody said 33 was glamorous...



... but Mom knew how to make me feel very glamorous with a handmade dress. Uhuh, she made that and it fits me perfectly. The woman is damn talented.

Thank you all so much for the well-wishes, thoughts, cards and gifts. This birthday wasn't particularly easy for me (in fact the word dread comes to mind) but being surrounded with such warm fuzzies made it all good. My friend Moo said it best: many wishes for a lovely 34th year of life and congratulations on a very full and fascinating 33 completed years. What a great way to think of turning a year older — it's not about what you haven't accomplished, it's about congratulating yourself on what you have. So I'm putting away the mental checklist that I get out every year and instead focusing on all the amazing things I've been able to do that have gotten me to where I am today. And being surrounded by dear friends and family, my Witt and a spotted dog... what more can a girl ask for?