“Look what we found, Karma reached out
Into our hearts and pulled us to our feet now
You know, the truth is we could disappear
Anywhere, as long as I got you there”
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
As I said in my last post; “Mackenzie whisked us off to Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica for my birthday, and the second we teleported in I swear I could almost hear real-world seagulls. The entire Highlife Destinations team always do an amazing job, so much so that we don’t miss a single chance to visit them. (We’ll see you all again in December too). We had the gorgeous Posada Villa tucked between palm shadows and ocean blue, all warm light, soft edges, and that “yeah, you’re definitely supposed to relax here” kind of atmosphere. But the best part wasn’t the villa. The villa was absolutely stunning as you can see from my few shots below. Truly though the best part was her. The thoughtfulness to plan something like this trip for my birthday just, it’s who she is. She always makes sure the important things get the attention they should.”
We had an incredible first night there. Finding little spots around the resort to explore. We made damn good use of some of them too. Those moments in the cave and on the beach won’t be leaving my mind anytime soon. Then waking up that next morning in our Posada Villa felt like the world exhaled before I did. There was this beautiful Costa Rica light coming through the curtains, warm in the way you can feel on your skin before you even open your eyes. I glanced over and saw her laying there next to me, sleeping peacefully. Then I looked over and saw everything she’d done again the day before.
Balloons floating like we’d hosted a tiny, joyful parade for two (or maybe more 😉). The cake she had clearly put her all into, because that frosting looked too perfect to be done in a split second. The purple and gold matching perfectly. She definitely knows what colors to go with and the things that I love. The way she arranged everything felt so Mackenzie, thoughtful, sentimental, a little chaotic (we’re both great with chaos haha), but wrapped in so much intention you could feel the love radiating off it.
I just laid there for a bit. Letting that moment sink in. Because I know she didn’t do it for the pictures. We do love our pictures, but that wasn’t the goal. We honestly hadn’t even planned the pictures yet. She didn’t do it because she thought she should. She did it because she -genuinely- wanted my birthday to feel special and that kind of love is a rare find in this world. We make sure to celebrate one another whenever we have the chance to. Whether that be a birthday, an anniversary, or either of us achieving something big or small. Showing up for your person matters and we try to do that every opportunity we get.
There was this quiet wonderment in the way she watched me react, not in a needy way, just super soft and observant. Like she was hoping I would feel celebrated, hoping I would feel loved. Let me tell you God damn, I did. More than she probably realized. I think I forget sometimes how good it feels to be on the receiving end of something planned, something considered, something that took time and energy and heart. Then she does something and no matter what it is, it’s always great. My line has always has been whether it’s five minutes or five hours, if it’s with you I’m good, and it’s true still to this day. No matter how long we have it’s the best.
Honestly, turning forty hadn’t been sitting weird with me. It just made me feel introspective. Like I was crossing some invisible checkpoint where you start measuring life not by how much you’ve done, but by who you get to do it with. Being there in Costa Rica with her, with her sweetness, her way of making ordinary moments feel like the greatest thing that’s ever happened, just grounded me like it always does.
The whole weekend had this perfect energy, like she’d laid out a path for us to follow without ever telling me she was doing it. Beach time, cave time, lazy naked-wandering-through-the-villa time. Even when we weren’t doing anything, it felt like something she came up with, this little pocket of peace where we didn’t have to do or carry anything heavy or be “on.” We could just be, and she was right there with me, tuned in like she always is. I appreciate her so damn much. I probably say it in pieces, in random comments, in touches, in the way I lean into her without thinking, but I don’t spell it out nearly enough or as often as I should. So let me do that now because she deserves it;
She has this way of loving me that sneaks its way into all the cracks I pretend I don’t have. She notices all of the little and big things. She anticipates moods and can tell when it’s off. She holds space without making a show of it or needing recognition for doing it. When she plans something, whether it’s a whole trip or just a cake and some balloons, she does it with her whole heart, even if she doesn’t realize that’s what she’s doing. I love her for it. For all of the softness she brings into my life. For the quiet effort. For the way she keeps choosing me, over and over, in small, real ways. I really did luck out with finding her and for the over two years we’ve spent together.
My birthday weekend this year didn’t feel like a milestone in the “look at me get older” way. It felt like a milestone in the “damn, I’m lucky to have this woman in my life” way. I hope she felt all of that reflected back at her. I hope she knows that every moment she tried to make special actually was. I hope she understands, really understands, how deeply she is loved. Forty came in perfect, slow, and full of her. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
💚42💜
“When the sun dies, till the day shines
When I’m with you, there’s not enough time
You are my spring flower, watchin’ you bloom, wow
We are surrounded, but I can only see”
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Credits:
~Photo 1~
~Mackenzie~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.CAMILA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Body: [LEGACY] (f) (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Hair: TRUTH Collective / Angelic ~ MissAllSunday Lemon ~ NEW @ Main Store
Dress: MOWIE – “Lara” Mini Dress [Perky] ~ Bubuzinha Luv ~ NEW @ ACCESS (Nov 12-Dec 8)
Ring & Earrings: (Yummy) Heartthrob Collection ~ Polyester Partridge
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Doline:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
~Lucky~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.NOA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Head Applier: VELOUR: KALEB Skin for Evo X ~ Kiria Mama
Hair: Stealthic – Haunting ~ Stealthic Resident
Hairbase: LeLUTKA.EvoX.Hairbase.044 (BOM) ~ Jaden Nova (Comes with the LeLUTKA NOA Head)
Eyes: Avi-Glam. Prism Eyes – Pack 2 ~ Eye Daddy
Ears: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged S Ears ~ Luciayes Magic
Ear Tattoo: RichB. Ears Tattoo #08 ~ Salvy Hexem
Beard: [MAGNIFICENT] Ducky Skunk Beard & Stache – LeBarbier Alpha
Beard Layer: [MR] Jimmi Facial Hair for EvoX Heads Style 1 ~ Daniel Whiskers
Body: [LEGACY] Athletic Edition (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Skin: VELOUR: PICASSO HOMME Skin for Legacy (FIT/TAN) Picasso Neck ~ Kiria Mama
Hand BOM: K.O.K.O.S SHOP – SEXI MAN HANDS-BOM ALL BODY. ~ Aleric Dallas
Nails: Pare.Cure Mesh Nails Both Hands [Short] – Legacy ~ Flazedo Resident
Tattoo: Boscato Vigor Upper Body Tattoo MEDIUM – Boston Blaisdale
Top: NATIVE URBAN – Rolled Jersey LEGACY ~ NativeUrban Resident
Jeans: [Deadwool] Dean Jeans ~ Masa Plympton
Glasses: :: DS :: Heath Glasses ~ Deep Static
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Eliot:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
Rings/Bracelets: *RE* Atreides Bracelet & Rings ~ Crashnoww Resident
Earrings: = DAE = SXD1 ~ Naomi Darkheart
~Scene~
Location: Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica
Pose: Ana Poses – Love Language 1 ~ Fanny Finney
~Photo 2~
~Mackenzie~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.CAMILA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Body: [LEGACY] (f) (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Hair: TRUTH Collective / Whisper ~ MissAllSunday Lemon ~ NEW @ Main Store
Bikini: TETRA – Spicy Bikini ~ Nata Fluffpaw
Ring & Earrings: (Yummy) Heartthrob Collection ~ Polyester Partridge
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Doline:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
~Lucky~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.NOA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Head Applier: VELOUR: KALEB Skin for Evo X ~ Kiria Mama
Hair: Stealthic – Haunting ~ Stealthic Resident
Hairbase: LeLUTKA.EvoX.Hairbase.044 (BOM) ~ Jaden Nova (Comes with the LeLUTKA NOA Head)
Eyes: Avi-Glam. Prism Eyes – Pack 2 ~ Eye Daddy
Ears: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged S Ears ~ Luciayes Magic
Ear Tattoo: RichB. Ears Tattoo #08 ~ Salvy Hexem
Beard: [MAGNIFICENT] Ducky Skunk Beard & Stache – LeBarbier Alpha
Beard Layer: [MR] Jimmi Facial Hair for EvoX Heads Style 1 ~ Daniel Whiskers
Body: [LEGACY] Athletic Edition (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Skin: VELOUR: PICASSO HOMME Skin for Legacy (FIT/TAN) Picasso Neck ~ Kiria Mama
Hand BOM: K.O.K.O.S SHOP – SEXI MAN HANDS-BOM ALL BODY. ~ Aleric Dallas
Nails: Pare.Cure Mesh Nails Both Hands [Short] – Legacy ~ Flazedo Resident
Tattoo: Boscato Vigor Upper Body Tattoo MEDIUM – Boston Blaisdale
Swimwear: S&P Switch shorts Legacy Black ~ Salt Peppermint
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Eliot:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
Rings/Bracelets: *RE* Atreides Bracelet & Rings ~ Crashnoww Resident
Earrings: = DAE = SXD1 ~ Naomi Darkheart
~Scene~
Location: Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica
Pose: SP – Sunset Cove – Pose 5 ~ SweetDaniellee Resident
~Photo 3~
~Mackenzie~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.CAMILA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Body: [LEGACY] (f) (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Hair: TRUTH Collective / Whisper ~ MissAllSunday Lemon ~ NEW @ Main Store
Bikini: TETRA – Spicy Bikini ~ Nata Fluffpaw
~Lucky~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.NOA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Hair: Stealthic – Haunting ~ Stealthic Resident
Hairbase: LeLUTKA.EvoX.Hairbase.044 (BOM) ~ Jaden Nova (Comes with the LeLUTKA NOA Head)
Ears: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged S Ears ~ Luciayes Magic
Body: [LEGACY] Athletic Edition (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Skin: VELOUR: PICASSO HOMME Skin for Legacy (FIT/TAN) Picasso Neck ~ Kiria Mama
Hand BOM: K.O.K.O.S SHOP – SEXI MAN HANDS-BOM ALL BODY. ~ Aleric Dallas
Nails: Pare.Cure Mesh Nails Both Hands [Short] – Legacy ~ Flazedo Resident
Tattoo: Boscato Vigor Upper Body Tattoo MEDIUM – Boston Blaisdale
Swimwear: S&P Switch shorts Legacy Black ~ Salt Peppermint
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Eliot:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
Rings/Bracelets: *RE* Atreides Bracelet & Rings ~ Crashnoww Resident
~Scene~
Location: Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica
Pose: SP – Sunset Cove – Pose 5 ~ SweetDaniellee Resident