Ngựa Con Của Mẹ (My Little Pony!)

In March of last year, my younger daughter turned 5.  In just a few more weeks,  she will be a year older. My oh my how time flies. I owe her a post for her 5th Birthday and it's about time to pay up before she turns six.  

As I'm typing this post, I'm reminded of how she came into our world and how fortunate I am to see her grown into the boisterous but healthy loving daughter. My bundle of joy didn't start out perfectly healthy. A few hours after birth, she actually stopped breathing. Had I been asleep for a brief moment during this critical period, she would not have made it home with us. Thank God I was awake to see her stop breathing (oh my, the things we are thankful for huh?). She spent a week in the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital and received fabulous care. She made it home strapped to a monitor and a bundle of wires.  Those were the days when there was very little sleep or peace, but now, we grateful for this wonderful joy!

When she was old enough to fit into dresses, nothing seemed to look good on her. She's gonna be  a tomboy for sure, so I thought.

1st birthday-Cupcake party

Then she turned two and all she wanted to do was put on dresses, tutus and nail polish.  She loves being in the kitchen to help me bake and cook.  She adores ballet and gymnastics!  I was soooo relieved!

2nd birthday-Tea party

I treasure every moment with my girls.  As I watch them grow, often I wish I can freeze time and keep them just the way they are. What I love most is their bubbly faces and wonderful  infectious smiles.

But then again, there's a whole life ahead of them waiting to be explored, discovered, conquered. I can only hope to contribute to such achievements. But for now, let's just enjoy the moment.

3rd birthday-Ballerina and Bubble Magic party

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4th birthday-Disney Cruise party

So to celebrate Ân-Hy's fifth birthday last year, she wished to have a Little Pony birthday party.

Once a year, I get to express my creativity through my arts and craft, so designing the invitation was incredibly fun. With the help of my friend Ann, we were able to combine Ân-Hy's favorite colors then and this playful picture to come up with a really cool invitation.

My husband took us on a trip to a barn and we brought home stacks of hay to build up the perfect ambiance for this hoedown.

As always, the night before her birthday, I had to give up my beauty sleep to get all the food and treats ready. I was up before sunrise to work in the kitchen alone to make sure all the food and decoration were done.  Everything needed to be completed by noon the next day.  It was exhausting but rewarding nonetheless.

All the food and frolicking is great but what fun would a my little pony birthday party be without the real ponies?

I always like to put a lot of thought into the  birthday cake as it's symbolic. Fortunately, I have a sister-in-law who has the passion for baking.  Almost every birthday, she would bake something gorgeous and delicious for my girls.  This year, she created beautiful cupcakes topped with pony figurines. This is accompanied by the main cake designed as a green pasture which fits perfectly atop a cupcake stand I found at Oriental Trading.

The scene is set, the foods has been prepared.  Soon, her friends would filled the yard to help her celebrate her 5th birthday.

And last but not least, you couldn't close a party without taking down the pinata!

Happy 5th Birthday my Little Pony!