Birthday Recap (Photo heavy!)

This weekend was amazing. Not more amazing than Bloggers In Sin City, though it comes in a close second!

I suppose I’ll start pre-weekend, by telling you that Justin came up on Wednesday because he had a THIRD interview on Thursday afternoon! It went really really well and we’re waiting to hear back. They obviously aren’t in any hurry because they said they’ll call either late this week or early next. Unfortunately, after hearing more details about the shift work, Justin isn’t thrilled with this position. I think at this point it’s going to depend on what kind of money they offer and if they make it worth his while. I’ll keep you updated as I know more!

Justin stayed in Erie with me until Saturday morning, when we headed to Pittsburgh for the real celebrations to begin! First, Justin presented me with my freaking awesome birthday present, the 75-300mm zoom lens for my camera!!

(I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed that this wasn’t an engagement ring, but it’s definitely the next best thing!)

He gave it to me a day early, so I could use it on our trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium!

The zoo is probably my favorite place on Earth. Big zoos, small zoos, any zoo really. As seen on my life list, I want to take a vacation that consists of traveling the country and seeing the top 10 zoos in the country! And then of course a million that aren’t on the list! (Here’s just one of the lists I could find, if you’re interested!)

Justin and I visit the Pittsburgh Zoo pretty often, but every time is just as fun as the last! Here’s a few moments from my birthday trip:

I was really happy with the way the leaves blurred around him!

I loved watching the baby swimming

Giraffes will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ll share that story some other day!

Some guy was drawing this with sidewalk chalk!

Polar bears are Justin’s favorite! He also got me a stuffed one to sleep with when he’s away :)

Can I keep him??

After the zoo, we went home, showered off the sweat (it was scorching in PGH that day!) and headed to The Melting Pot for dinner! I wish I had taken more/better pictures here, but I was too busy stuffing my face!

My drink – Yin & Yang Martini – SO GOOD

Justin’s drink – Dragon Berry Mojito

Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue appetizer. To Die For.

Fondue Fusion -
Lobster Tail, Sesame Crusted Teriyaki Sirloin, Citrus Infused Pork Tenderloin, Sushi-Grade Ahi Tuna, Garlic Chili Chicken Breast, Kiwi Lime Shrimp, Spring Vegetable Dumplings, and Fresh Vegetables.

P.S. I actually tried and LIKED everything on that plate. Especially the Lobster!

Mmmmm Chocolate!

Dessert -
Strawberries, Bananas, Rice Krispie Treats, Crushed Oreo coated Marshmallows, Crushed Graham Cracker coated Marshmallows, Pound Cake, Brownies, and Cheesecake (with a candle for my birthday!)

Needless to say, after all that we could barely move! Everything was absolutely delicious and I cannot wait to go back! But it will definitely be awhile, since our bill was FAR more than we would normally spend on a dinner for two!

We had some time to kill after dinner, so we rode the Incline up to Mt. Washington to take pictures with my new camera lens!

Monongahela Incline – The less rickety of the two in PGH!

Oh how I miss this city!

He’s amazing :)

For the Steeler fans out there!

When I got a call from a certain special someone telling me they had arrived in Station Square, we rode back down to meet up at Bar Louie.  I’m sure some of you will recognize this face:

I love Maggie! (And Chris and Ian too!)

And, one last picture, my favorite one ever of us! I love this boy!

So yea, sorry for the lengthy post, but I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I will probably start including photos a lot more often now that I’m getting more used to my camera, but I promise I won’t make them all this long!

I hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend too! And a good one coming up!!

Oh and P.S. I’m trying to get Justin to use his twitter more, so you should all go follow him and tweet him so he’s forced to respond!! @boxdiesel :)

P.S.S. I restarted Project 365! Go check out my pictures here!