My Birthday Celebration (PART ONE)

I celebrated my 31st birthday yesterday and it was so fun. You might wonder why there's "PART ONE" in the title, but it's actually because my aunts, cousins, friends and parents are actually planning for another celebration on Saturday.

My birthday this year fell on a Wednesday and unfortunately, my cousins are going to school and my other friends are working. So, they decided to have another celebration on the weekend. I'm just happy and lucky that they consider my special day as extra special and want to spend it with me even at a later date.

However, my parents and other cousins (who are working on Saturday) wanted to celebrate it yesterday as well. haha I have nothing to say... I just have to enjoy their company and the free food! hahaha

In this post, I'm going to share how the first part of my birthday went.
It started at midnight. I usually take a shower before going to bed, so I can feel very comfortable when I sleep. It was midnight when I went out after getting dressed up for the night when my parents actually surprised me with these.

I was surprised, indeed!

As you may already know (if you're following my posts), I prefer sleeping on the floor with just a foam mattress. I'm using a single one which I used to use over my sofa bed last time and added with the foam from our folding bed so it could be thicker. It was comfortable enough for me, but actually my parents especially mama wanted me to sleep more comfortably, so she and papa decided to buy me this... a bigger and more comfortable foam mattress.

Papa also made me this customized MARCH calendar. It's often a joke in my country to say "It's your last time in the calendar" when we turn 31 because obviously, it's the last and biggest number in the calendar... and being your last time in the calendar reminds you that you're not getting any younger. That's the reason why my papa made this calendar with 52 days. He also decorated it with my fave character from Inazuma Eleven Go named Shinsuke. <3

After presenting me these gifts and greeting me at midnight, we went to sleep.

Then as promised, I had a video call with my bestie from the opposite side of the world. We usually do this especially on special occasions. We might not be able to be with each other physically, but at least, in some way, we could celebrate and spend time together. <3 I miss her so much! I hope to see her and her hubby soon! ^^

Before lunch, these two lovely people arrived. They're my cousins from my father's side. They're Manong Jed and my bb Bernice. <3 They both live in Cebu for work, so they sometimes visit us. Manong Jed is working this weekend, so they decided to come over yesterday instead... and they surprised me with a very yummy and beautiful cake!

"Mayang" is a nickname I go with especially in my father's side of the family. This is a very delicious yema mango cake. It's so fluffy and it wasn't very sweet, so it was perfect for me. <3

Once the table was set, it was time for us to dig in. Food really tastes so much better when shared with your loved ones. We enjoyed eating and talking during lunch. It was super fun. I like small gatherings with loved ones like this. <3 And oh, my grandma and uncle also called to greet me around this time, so we were able to celebrate with them over the phone, too. I miss my baby cousins from my mama's side, though... but we'll be celebrating this Saturday, so it's okay! ^^

Above are some food these lovely people prepared for me on my special day. We had some fried chicken, Bicol express, Black Forest cake from mama and papa and carbonara. Yes!!! Pasta is a must! haha We all enjoyed the food and we were also able to share some food to some of our neighbors who are close to us. I think it's kind of common in the Philippines to give food. Despite that, we were able to enjoy the food until lunch today. We still have some slices of cake left, but they're reserved for my aunt this Saturday because she got jealous of them and wanted some. lol

At night, one of my close friends since high school came over to spend some time with me. We talked until late, so she ended up sleeping over. haha It's quite usual for her to sleepover since we live in the same city and her parents are comfortable and at ease when they know she's spending the night with us. She just left this morning after breakfast because she has some meetings in the afternoon.

Another special and cute gift I received was from a young boy in our neighborhood. He usually stays with us and helps out at home then we gave him food and money. He has been close to the family and even his family is happy that we are taking care of him. He gave me this as a present. It's so adorable. It's a new flavor of one of my favorite snacks. It's just heartwarming that he gave me such a gift at a young age. I really appreciate it. <3

My day ended quite late. I talked with Marie, my high school friend, until past three in the morning. We talked about various things like life, relationships, plans for the future, our worries and a lot more. It just feels good to have someone to talk with without being careful since we have known each other for a long time and we can trust each other.

And that's it for the part one of my birthday celebration. I'm looking forward for the second part since my other favorite people are coming over. <3 I'll be sharing about it soon, too! Thanks for reading this post. :)

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