This is Forty

Sources:

Photography: Dear Wesleyann Photography

Flowers: Bella Flora 30A

Umbrella: Business & Pleasure

Plates, Poufs, Candle Holders: World Market – Here, Here and Here.

Flower Lights: Coterie Party Goods

Placemats: Target

Blue Folding Tables: Home Depot

Last month I turned Forty. It was quite the year to have a milestone birthday! I originally envisioned celebrating my birthday in France this summer with our friends, but we had to switch gears. So, instead, we headed to our happy place and spent two weeks at the beach. Some of our best friends and their adorable kids who are also homeschooling this year were able to join us, and we celebrated with a family birthday picnic at sunset on Rosemary Beach. Celebrating with my family meant everything to me, and I was so happy that Sloane could join us since it was really important to her to be a part of the celebration! Sometimes, despite plans changing, things turn out exactly as they are supposed to! I couldn’t be more thankful for this evening with our sweet friends and everything they did to help bring this vision to life. Our two husbands literally ran all over town picking up a cake, flowers and food, trekked everything down to the beach and set up this entire event – and then they posed for family photos. I truly believe they are the two of the sweetest and most selfless guys around!

I have to add that this day was absolutely gorgeous but soooo windy!! I am very picky about photography and I can’t believe how beautifully Wesleyann (From Dear Wesleyann Photography) was able to capture all of us and the details of this party despite the crazy wind! I am obsessed with her skills and how sweet and fun she was. Dream photographer.

Forty could be one of the most momentous birthdays we celebrate in our lives. With the average lifespan in mind, forty seems to be this midway point when you are old enough to look back and reflect on a substantial amount of years behind you, and young enough to look forward with hope and plans for the future. I’ve thought a lot lately about the experiences and people that have shaped me – things I’ve accomplished, the lessons I’ve learned, how I’ve grown, the successes and failures I’ve had, and all that I am thankful for. I have also thought a lot about what’s ahead – plans and dreams I have yet to accomplish and the beauty in the unknown.

At 20, there are so many unknowns. What will your job be when you graduate from college? Who will you marry? Will you have children? How many? Where will you live? It seems that over time, those questions are answered and more of your life becomes “established” per say. In my thirties, I became a mom, we planted roots in the city we live in, we made many new friends and began building our home. Often times, our thirties are spent answering all of the questions we had in our twenties and setting ourselves up for later in life. My thirties were a wonderful decade, but now that I’m forty, I feel this sense of comfort and balance between knowing that my life is kinda figured out, but not completely! What I mean by that is, if our thirties are spent trying to answer all the unknowns, once you get to forty you learn to appreciate the fact that you still have unknowns! You realize that there is beauty in not having all of the answers and a completed life. I still have so much to discover and experience. My life is a work in progress and that’s what makes it great. That’s what makes it exciting. I have so many dreams that I am working on and still exploring in this season, and I have a feeling that my best years are still ahead of me!