What We Love Wednesday - Laura & Birthdays!!!

I am a lucky lady, of that I have no doubt, but at this time - my birthday to be precise, I find myself alone more often than I like. Here's the thing - you know we spend EVERY moment we can together so I appreciate that it might be a little hard to plan anything but when L disappears and I am essentially left alone it feels odd! The fact that there are rarely secrets between us also means that the time around my birthday always feels odd.

So rather than trying to sneak-a-peek through the bedroom door I thought I would use the opportunity to reminisce on birthdays past, at the grand old age of soon to be 29, there have been a few :) but since being with Laura birthdays in my world have stepped up and been AMAZING!!!

The first birthday we celebrated together was my 26th and we celebrated with a trip to St. Malo in France. Laura had been given ferry tickets from a gentleman at work, due to some wonderful customer service, and we were able to book a room at a gorgeous hotel, so made a long weekend of it.

On the ferry over we had been allocated reclining seats as it was an overnight journey, we snuggled up under covers and got a few hours sleep. Our arrival into St. Malo was an early one, as we were off the ferry by 8am, but we were able to leave our luggage at the hotel and set about exploring the fortified island. With it's glorious beaches, beautiful castles and streets filled with restaurants it was a perfect place for a mini-break.

The best bit was that it was just us and the presents Laura had bought me were perfect, and just what I wanted.

My 27th was also spent out of the country but that was because we were living in Australia. I actually screwed up L's birthday surprise without even knowing it. July in the UK is summertime, my birthday has, hopefully including this year, always been in the sun - its synonymous for me. L's grandparents had thrown me a mini-birthday celebration and I spoke to my parents over Skype but it didn't feel like my birthday. Being in Australia where July is winter it was weird for me, the TV programmes are all winter related and people are wrapped up warmly and it all seems a bit too much like Christmas. We were watching Australia's Funniest Home Videos - Yuletide Edition at L's grandparents when I may have stated 'There's nothing worse than Christmas in July.'- what I didn't realise was Laura left the room in floods of tears!

The reason was, my birthday surprise was a weekend away to the Blue Mountains- about 2 hours outside of Sydney, for Christmas in July. Villages in the Blue Mountains literally decorate themselves as if it's Christmas. Hotels put up Christmas trees and in our hotel Santa came to visit. Not many people with birthdays in July can say they got Happy Birthday sung to them by Santa!!

As with every surprise organised by Laura it was AMAZING! From the long walks to see spectacular waterfalls to the four course Christmas dinner, it was an amazing getaway. The hotel was so cute and cosy, the people we met were brilliant and even though I spent my birthday singing carols, I couldn't have been happier!





On arrival back in Manly we went to a pub quiz with our Aussie friends and I was gifted diet coke and a coat that has saved me from more than a few soaking this summer thanks to Kate, what I wasn't aware was that my darling girlfriend had set me up:

This happened in our local pub quiz! Check it out, you'll learn a few things about me you may not know!!!

My 28th birthday was the first we celebrated back on UK soil and once again L surpassed herself. If I was to list things I love (and where better to do that than on a WWLW post) it would include: massages, cookie dough, theatre, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, David Tennant and Catherine Tate - and she managed to get them ALL into one birthday! It helped that David & Catherine were starring in Much Ado About Nothing in the West End, but I had heard that it had been SOLD OUT ages before I had even seen it was on!

The day started with a cooked breakfast and then a massage - what better way to start ANY day, but especially my birthday!

The cookie dough featured because my wonderful girlfriend had made me a bag - yep a re-sealable sandwich bag- of COOKIE DOUGH!!!!! Instead of a cake I was able to spoon out cookie dough!!! AMAZING!!! My main memory of that evening was crying with happiness after an amazing meal at Prix Fix (a really lovely restaurant in Soho) and being given the cookie dough and tickets. There were other beautiful gifts from my lovely lady too but it's hard to top tickets to a sold out play - EXCEPT she topped it by getting us 12 rows back!!!! I tell you I am with the most AMAZING, WONDERFUL, INCREDIBLE girl who knows me better than I know myself.

So as I sit watching programmes I recorded that I know she'll be glad she doesn't have to sit through (who doesn't want to know about the history of London streets?!) I know whatever is being organised /created/ planned in the other room will put a smile on my face that only she know how to put there! See i'm one of those awkward people who says things like 'I just want time with you', for me birthdays are never about the presents (although they're great too) they are about the feeling you get knowing that someone has taken time out their day to think of you. And L does that oh so well!

Therefore what do I love this Wednesday? Simple my lovely Laura organising something for my birthday! In fact, if all I got this birthday was an hour of hugging L it would be the best birthday yet!

Love always, 

Sarah xo