32 Birthdays Ages 0-16

I wanted to do a post looking back at my birthdays in past years. There are some gaps in my memory so I decided to add some throwback photos so you readers can watch me grow before your eyes. Enjoy!

Circa 1982

Circa 1983

Circa 1986

Turning 5 (1987)

The first birthday I remember is my 5th birthday. My Granny Becca gave me a hand-quilted quilt that she began when my mom was a little girl. To this day, it is my very most favorite blanket. It is super soft and the blanket I pull out when I need some extra comfort.  It is falling to pieces but I still love it. I also remember getting a Rainbow Brite kitchen set as a gift from my parents.  

Circa 1988

Turning 7 (1989)

My family decided to take a Disney vacation around my 7th birthday. On my actual birthday we went to Denny's and I told them it was my birthday. They gave me a complimentary meal to celebrate. I also remember going to a place called Old Town and riding a Ferris Wheel.

Turning 8 (1990)

This was the year I found my dad building something the night before my birthday. I asked him about it and he told me he was building a batting cage for my brother. The design of it didn’t make sense so I kept pestering him with questions. He finally told me to be quiet and go to bed. When I awoke the next day, I discovered it was a rabbit cage with a beautiful, white rabbit inside.

Turning 9 (1991)

For my 9th birthday, I had my first sleepover party. I remember playing relay games with my friends. I also got a pair of roller skates that year. The following morning we had cake for breakfast and I made a rule that you had to eat it like a dog (aka no hands or utensils.)

Circa 1995

Turning 14 (1996)

I remember telling my mom that I would like to have a surprise party which never really works when you ask to be surprised. On the Friday before my 14th birthday, my mom told me I needed to go with my dad and brother to the mountain. I asked her why I couldn’t stay at home and she said because I needed to go with my dad. I begin to piece some things together and had figured out by the time I got home that a party most likely awaited me. As I went in the house, I noticed a figure hunkered down in the dark. I flipped on the light and everyone yelled surprise. I remember we had a beauty contest where we all dressed up crazy and paraded through the house. I also remember watching half of Forrest Gump until my mom turned it off due to the language content.

Turning 15 (1997) - Sadly I have no pics from the party but this photo is circa 1997

I’ve always been a kid at heart and like to do silly things.  For my fifteenth birthday, I decided to have a backwards birthday party. Of course, I began by writing the invitations backwards. On the party day, I wore my clothes backwards and my ponytail on top of my head. We had ice cream in cupcake holders and cake baked into ice cream cones. I sang to myself, “Birthday happy you to, birthday happy you to, birthday happy Candace dear, birthday happy you to.” My guests got in on the fun as well. One friend folded the envelope and put it inside the card. Another friend asked if I was supposed to give the gifts since it was “backwards.” My cousin gave me a gift of fancy prom shoes as a fake gift before giving me my real gift. Being the girly girly that I have always been, I handled the prom shoe gift with much embarrassment before I was given my real gift.

Turning 16 (1998) - Sadly I have no pics again but this photo is circa 1998

Two weeks before my 16th birthday, I was staying at a friend’s house. We had an event at church that evening so I rode with her. My cousin was supposed to come to the event with my mom so I was anxious to get there to make sure she had a friend to keep her company. My friend insisted we drop some stuff off at the gym before going into the church. For some reason she wouldn’t open the door and made me be the first to enter the dark gym. Suddenly the lights came on and people were throwing confetti and yelling “Surprise!” I kept trying to figure out who we were surprising until it hit me that the party was for me. 








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