Celebrating a 35th Birthday in the Backyard

This was for a 35th birthday, back in June of 2014. We were gathered out on the patio as the sun went down. It was one of those classic warm Bay Area evenings where you can just stay outside long after dinner is over.

The highlight for the kids, as it always is, was the cake. A simple white cake with red trim on a bright green stand, with two candles spelling out '35'. You can see the focus in their eyes as it's brought to the table, the little flames reflecting.

At first, they watched, letting the birthday girl have her moment. But blowing out candles is too tempting, and soon it became a group effort. A deep collective breath, and then all three of them leaned in to blow them out together. A simple, shared moment on a summer night.