Happy Birthday To Me! (Cha-Cha-Cha)

If you haven't picked up on it by now, I LOVE my birthday.  After my quarter-of-a-century of a life, I think I've figured out a little why I love it so much.  Being right after Christmas (my favorite day of the year) everyone comes back over.  It's an extension of my favorite day!  Plus, I never had school (now work) and Mom and Dad tried to make it extra special because it was so close to Christmas.  We have traditions that have been going on for YEARS.  Needless to say, I have taken the "extra special" and kind of run with it....

The first thing we've always done is make my birthday cake.  Here's the original...

Dad and I make the same version every year, except it (obviously) changes with the age I am turning.  The cakes have evolved over the years, however, and now not only have colored icing, but colored cake as well.  

The cake always starts as 2 separate cakes.  The numbers we are cutting determine what shaped we do.  This year was two 9x13 cakes.

Dad cuts them into the shape, while I make the *perfect* pink-colored frosting.

The leftovers get put in a bowl so people can munch on them....this might be one of my favorite parts. :)  Please note the AWESOME color of the cake...I think this is the best hot pink we've ever had!

The pink frosting has pink decorations (of course!)

This is the classic picture we take every year, but being a quarter-of-a-century, we recreated the first birthday picture more precisely! (See first picture of this post :) ) And, yes, I wear a tiara.  It started off as a joke, but I, of course, wear it every year now!

Here's another classic!  Please note that the table decorations from Christmas are nowhere to be seen...

Rach and Auds...they have permanent birthday seats.  ...They are slightly rearranged now that Anthony is around, but permanent none the less.

Wow...that's pink!

Mmm!!

My late Christmas gift from Josh...I LOVE Buckee's :)

And my new shoes from Anthony!!  ...I think I need to work on my feigned-surprise face... :)

And in the words of Kindergarteners...

Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday Dear Sara, Happy Birthday to You!  Cha-cha-cha, Oooh-la-la, It's your Birthday, Rah-rah-rah, High-Ya! Chinese Chicken!!!

(Strange, I know...)

Love, Sara :)