the birthdays!

our joint birthday this year was FANTASTIC! much better than last year, seeing as how i wasn't in labor this time around.

birthday twins!

we woke up early, opened presents, ate chocolate chip scones [what i was SUPPOSED to eat for birthday breakfast last year] and got ready for the day.

our day involved plenty of balloons and streamers, naturally.

then i headed out to seattle to take a cooking class at diane's market kitchen. this place was fantastic! i had read nothing but raving reviews online, and i turned out to be the only student that day -- so i basically got a private cooking lesson.

the kitchen is in a cute little alley just a block from the pier -- an intimate setting and to-die-for kitchen. diane is a fantastic teacher -- she's a regular at pike place, so she knows a TON about all the shops, seasonal foods, local farms, etc. -- and i'm already planning my next class. we went over soups & salads and i loved every second.

my mom was watching jack, and encouraged me to stay out as long as i wanted. so i stopped by bellevue square, my closest mall, to get my new watch sized -- and ended up shopping for a few hours. i had forgotten how GLORIOUS shopping by myself can be; it was blissful.

then it was home to prepare dinner -- our friends the gunters [in town for an internship] came over for dinner and the monumental cupcake eating. obviously, it was a success.

this is probably one of my favorite pictures ever of jackal. it was a fabulous day all around, made even better by the fact that i now share the day with my little sidekick. hooray for double birthdays!