The BIG 3-0!!

When I turned 30 I was either going to stay at home and cry, or have a big party. We opted for the party, and I'm glad we did. 30 was a big year. It's a big transition, even though you don't actually feel different... lots of things change. The biggest being, you're not "twenty something" anymore.

Isn't that SAD?

Derek was on the road to taking 30 pretty hard too. (not really, but it was a good excuse to party & not cry) So, we loaded up and went exploring Ames, IA. It was a fun day, and maybe next year we can get to the things we missed this trip.

Enjoy the pictures!!

First stop - Birthday Lunch at Hickory Park Restaurant, boasts of best BBQ, and an entire menu of Blue Bunny Ice Cream deserts.

We strolled downtown & shopped at some awesome upscale consignment shops, then went to the Reiman Gardens located on ISU's campus. This was a lot of fun. They had an indoor tropical butterfly paradise! They had some of the biggest butterflies I have ever seen!! L loved this part!

Using her binoculars to find the butterflies.

They also had LEGO sculptures throughout the grounds. They were quite remarkable. Here are a few.

Derek was a bit grumpy in this photo, and I can't remember why...

 but this is what he gets for being grumpy on his birthday.

After this, we went to Blue Moon Winery to catch some live music. And ended the night at Wal-mart, because that's what Americans do... go to Walmart to get the things you need before you go home.

Fun day, for sure!

Lucky for Derek, his birthday actually fell on a Monday. I couldn't let the actual day go unnoticed even though we celebrated on Sunday. SO, I made his favorite foods as per his request: Stuffed Bell Peppers, Guacamole, & homemade Apple Pie.