Maria Shriver smiles as she turns 65 with her four children

She just celebrated an important birthday after turning 65 on Friday.

And Maria Shriver commemorated her special day with her four grown children, which she shares with her ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger, at her Los Angeles home.

The journalist’s son, Patrick, 27, shared a touching family photo on his Instagram on Friday, which saw Maria smile broadly in front of her homemade birthday cake.

Maria was joined by Patrick and his youngest son Christopher, 23, along with his two daughters Katherine, 30, and Christina, 29, for the festive celebration.

She kept things casual in a comfy white hoodie as she sat at a garden table in front of her birthday cake, which was beautifully decorated with colorful candles and glitter.

The former California First Lady opted for natural makeup for the occasion and let her blonde hair flow freely in a natural, loose wave.

She seemed in high spirits as she posed for the outdoor party shots with her children, who all gathered in front of an outdoor heater amid the cool evening breeze.

Along with the birthday shots, Patrick wrote in all caps: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY @mariashriver. LOVE YOU AT THE MOON AND BACK! ‘

Arnold did not appear anywhere in sight during the celebrations, but the couple appear to be on good terms as Maria attended her 73rd birthday in July.

Maria shared a touching Instagram post thanking her friends and family for “ the birthday love ”, saying she was “ giving thanks for so much and so much ” this year.

She shared a religious graphic on her social media, which read, “ On this day of my birth, I give thanks to God for giving me another year of life. I don’t take it for granted. I know I am lucky.

“I give thanks for my family, my friends, my faith and all the love that has been given to me and that is given to me. Amen.’

In a caption next to the post, she continued: ‘Thanks everyone for the birthday love. This year, I give thanks for so much.

Arnold and Maria married in 1986, but left Hollywood in 2011 after it emerged that he had fathered a son named Joseph with the family’s housekeeper Mildred Baena.

Although Arnold is now dating a blonde physiotherapist named Heather Milligan, who at 45 is his junior at 28, his divorce from Maria has not been finalized.