Danica Patrick Rings in 36th Birthday with Boyfriend Aaron Rodgers

Danica Patrick might be hinting at some long-term relationship goals with her boyfriend, Aaron Rodgers, 'cause she apparently loves getting older ... with her man by her side.

Danica rang in her 36th birthday Sunday with the Packers QB front and center for a group photo. The party looked pretty fun -- it was unicorn-themed ... for the ladies, anyway.

The soon-to-be retired race car driver shared a few photos of the shindig from over the weekend, in which all of her girlfriends were wearing unicorn hats and were sipping what looked like champagne. The guys went hat-free, but were also all smiles in celebration.

She captioned her photos ... "I love getting older!!!!!!!!!!! Super grateful for all the love around me in my life! People, work, opportunities, dreams.....full heart space." She went on ... "Don't forget to dream big for the things you want in your life."

Sounds to us like Danica's pretty happy with Aaron, who she's been dating since at least December. And with a stud like that in her life, why wouldn't she be stoked to cross off another year?

Congrats!