Birthdays on a Tuesday are never as fun as birthdays on a weekend, but we made the most of it! Brady was out of town, so we had to save a few traditional celebrations for later in the week after he got home, but we like to celebrate birthdays all month long in our family, so it worked out perfectly. Above, the traditional before school birthday picture. And below, the traditional birthday table picture. 
Britt was supposed to have basketball practice on her birthday, but he came home with a bad headache, so he wisely decided to stay home, which meant we all got to stay home. Nice surprise! I knew his head must really hurt, or he wouldn't miss practice. But I also think a small, sweet part of him wanted to help Brailey have a good birthday. Her day at school wasn't the best, and Britt is a soft-hearted brother who wanted to do his part to make it better. I think we managed to turn her day around, as you will see in the pictures below.
She wanted the Pirates of the Caribbean makeup as soon as she saw it come out, and Britt was bound and determined that she would have it. They used to be obsessed with pirates when they were little, Britt more than Brailey, but watching all those movies as a little kid stuck with Brailey, and she was so happy he got it for her. These are the moments that make a mother's heart smile.
Whenever Brailey gets new makeup, this is is what we see. She sets it all out on the living room floor and admires it. Most all of her gifts were makeup, this year. And even better, Tuesday Night Smackdown was on, so she got to watch one of her favorite shows while arranging it all. It takes quite a while for her to organize it. She is not like me in this regard. Makeup terrifies me! I always slop it on and pray it will look okay, whereas Brailey sees a fresh new canvas to have fun with every day. It is a refreshing perspective, especially considering she is the least vain person in the world.
The envelopes below are from her best friend, Nikki, and the time and thought she put into them just melts my heart! She was so sweet to Brailey at school during the short time they had together before school and at lunch and gave her the most wonderful gifts - spoiled her rotten, in fact! But these envelopes are just too sweet for words and had to be shared. Brailey is so blessed to have Nikki in her life. What a wonderful friend! 
Brailey couldn't decide what kind of a cake she wanted, this year. Did she want a cheesecake or a real cake? She finally decided on a cheesecake. We had to save that part of her celebration for when Brady was home, so I got her this mini "real" cake, too, for her actual birthday, which she loved. It was a great surprise! 
Our theme this year was yellow and purple, which I will be telling you more about soon. Stay tuned for that revelation and a glimpse into her future. 
The day after her birthday, she tried out for Dance Factory's Urban Fusion group. The tryouts were tough, and she thought she did horribly. She fully expected not to be on the team. But we got the official word on Friday, and she made it! 
On Friday night, we went to the movies. We saw the final Pirates of the Caribbean show. It was soooooo good! We ran in to two of her classmates, Sarah and Miriam. So I snapped a quick picture of them, because that's what I do - take pictures. 
On Saturday, to wrap the celebration up, we went to Texas Roadhouse for the traditional birthday dinner. It was, as always, more delicious than words can describe.
And then, last but not least, after mass, we had her "real" birthday cake, which was a cheesecake from Coscto. I tried to decorate it up a bit. A little cheesy (pardon the pun!), but still fun.
Her main present didn't come on time, so we saved it for the cake ceremony. The new shades were a huge hit, and I am so grateful she wasn't upset or disappointed that they didn't arrive on her birthday. Her first Ray Bans - she is thrilled!
And she made a wish and blew the candles out in one breath. It was a wonderful celebration of our sweet girl. She is so precious to us, and we are more excited than we have ever been to see where this next year takes her. Fourteen wasn't the greatest year of her life, but we're making some changes and have big plans for the next year, and I predict it is going to be amazing and full of all kinds of wonderful things! 
