HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

My favorite day of the year is my birthday.  I love that there is a day specifically set aside to celebrate me.  I owe the majority of feeling this way to my Mom.  Growing up she always made each us aware that this was our day.  A day to set everything else aside and to focus on that one person.  We never had extravagant parties or huge presents but we were always surrounded by family. And as the years go by she has never wavered in making our birthdays "Our Day".  And I still get the cards with her thanking me for being her daughter (or in the case of this year a text message and a card).  Thank you Mom for making me not only feel special on my birthday but everyday.  

So I officially turned 24 on Friday (I'm getting so BIG!).  I strongly believe that everybody should have a "Birthday Week" but Chris still hasn't exactly caught on to this idea, but he did give me an amazing "Birthday Weekend".  My birthday started out with the first birthday text message coming through at about 7:45 am (thanks Ashley!) and they continued all throughout the day.  Chris surprised me with one of my favorite breakfast pastries to start off my big day.  Donuts!  My Hubby totally knows that the fastest way to put a smile on my face is by showing me food, and he hit it right on with my birthday donuts.  Yummy!  

Breakfast of Champions

Mmmmm, Delicious!

That evening we celebrated my B-day with my families birthday tradition of having the birthday person picking where they would like to go and eat and everybody going there.  My choice... Texas Roadhouse.  Loved it!  

Amanda, Vincent, Ashley, and Mya at dinner.

So anybody that knows my brother knows that he is incapable of taking a decent picture.  Every picture I have ever tried to take of him, he is always making a funny face (on purpose).  So after about 25 times of taking the exact same picture and him constantly being yelled at to "smile normal" (poor guy) I finally got this one.  Is it the best?  No.  But I'll take it.  Thanks Vince, for giving me one to work with.

Chris, me, and my Mom at dinner.

So after we stuffed our tummies we headed back to my house to have a little cake and open gifts. 

I always get bashful at the singing part.

Present time!  That's my sisters graduation picture.  She looks beautiful.  She just wrapped it so I would have something extra to open.

Photo Shoot!

My little sis, me, and my little bro.  Believe it or not this is a great picture of him :).

The love of my life and me.

And just like Chris' B-day we all gathered around to watch America's Funniest Home Videos (practically my families favorite show).  We ate good food, were in excellent company, and laughed hard.  It was a GREAT day!  

On Saturday Chris pretty much devoted the entire day to me.  We didn't do too much out of our normal Saturday routine but it was great just being together.  And a couple times he did say that we could do whatever I wanted because it was my "Birthday Weekend".  That put an instant smile on my face.  I did take him up on that offer and he took me to a scary movie.  Something that I love and he doesn't.  Thanks for the sacrifice Babe.   

Well, I had a fantastic birthday.  Thanks everybody for the amazing gifts and all the Birthday Wishes.  It was all more than I ever expected.  You sure do know how to make a girl feel loved.  I am so excited to be 24 and to see what kind of perks comes with being this great number.  Oh, the joys of growing up!