Happy FOUR, Evelyn!

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Happy FOUR, Evelyn Han Huizhen! 

Two years ago, we were just home from China and she spent her 2nd birthday in the hospital.  Last year, she'd just had a rough surgery up in Columbus, Ohio and felt rotten.  So this year her birthday feels extra special, and is filled with a heavy dose of gratitude. This girl.  She taught us to celebrate and has challenged us to focus on the beauty of all our todays.

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We celebrated with all her favorites: Lay's potato chips, cheese, strawberries, watermelon and rolls of deli meat.  Her cake boss daddy even worked his magic to make her Daniel Tiger cake dreams come true. 

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We invited the cousins and a couple friends over and called it a party.  Of course, she's was ready with a most appropriate favor.  (That we later forgot to give!)

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They giggled.  They sang.  They ate.  They giggled.  They ate again.  They rolled in the grass. 
They giggled more.

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A special birthday bonus was that her beloved "Baby Charlotte", who is newly home from China, partied with us.  Evelyn has prayed for over a year for this special one (who was too busy playing to be photographed well!), and was even requesting a "Baby Charlotte" party.  So, her presence was akin to having Princess Elsa make a party appearance!  All Evie's birthday wishes came true!

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Sometimes you see a kid doing kid things and it feels like a miracle.  

Happy FOUR, Evelyn Han Huizhen. You are a spunky, silly, music loving "big helper".  Your little giggle is the best ever and we all love when you say "idea" before your crazy suggestions of what we should do next. 

And your stanky legs?  The most hilarious. 

Courage, dear heart.

Happy 5, Eli!

 

Happy 5, Eli! You've got it, ya know. That little something, something extra. You light up the room with that joy, that generosity, that curiosity. We're smitten, little buddy.

Your daddy made your cake dreams come true, and it was so very fun to watch you love it!

 

 

It was so fun to celebrate you with some special friends who love you like crazy too.

You are quite the comedian little man!  Happy 5 to you!

 

So grateful for the gift of you.

Happy 4, Eli!

Happy Birthday, little buddy. 

 Today we celebrate the gift of you to our family. 

We have no idea if you celebrated April 6th before us.  What we do know is that you are something special.  This date will never ever, ever pass again without cake, ice cream, candles and some singing.   

 Your grandparents, aunts and uncles love you much too, and like to make a big ole fuss over ya. 

 Today we cousined up for some celebrating and Skyped in your biggest big from KY.

 Daddy made you cake,

and you held up FOUR fingers all day long. 

Buddy, you've messed with our lives, smiling your way deep into our hearts. 

 Yep, the "Eli Effect" has resulted in the loss of some valuables, the destruction of property, and lots of "oops".  No matter, your curious self is loved like crazy.   This is a team of explorers, and you fit right in. 

 You've brought a 1,000 extra smiles to the team. 

 Happy birthday, joy machine. 

 

 Love you big time.  4 is going to be awesome. 

Celebrating Claire (and Periwinkle!)

Our team had all kinds of fun celebrating Claire Bear's big FIVE! 

 She had breakfast with her daddy, got to take cupcakes to share with friends at supper club,

took cousins to see Frozen with some TinkerBell/Periwinkle gummy goody bags,

and had lots of fun with her teammates.   

 Papa's artwork always makes us smile.  Thank you, Papa!  Thanks, Grandma and Aunt Janie, for covering her two loves: all things Frozen and Periwinkle.   

The big, fat, most awesome of awesomeness was this "Secret of the Wings" cake her cake boss daddio whipped up to fulfill her dream of a "Periwinkle cake".  Mark makes each child a special cake for their birthday and this one did not disappoint.  Claire's only birthday wish was one of her daddy's cakes.  Such a sweet memories, being baked.   

 Here's to five, my girl. Celebrating sweet you was so special to our family. 

We love you much. 

Interview with a 5 Year Old

What is it like to be 5?

You learn how to hula hoop and you know where everything goes. 

 

What does it feel like to be 5?

Good

 

What are you good at?

Tag Readers

What do you like to do? 

play outside

play Anna (from Frozen) with dolls

make cupcakes with mom

 

What do you like to eat?

eggs

tatos

strawberries and fruit and blueberries

I like everyfing.

What is your favorite song?

Frozen dance

 

What will you learn to do when you are five?

math

how to be nice

whatever Sophia's "fings" are

 

Who loves you?

Jesus, God, mommy, daddy, Eli....just everybody.  Everybody loves me. 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Claire Bear

You are light and sweetness, a gift to our family.

Turning Two, Inpatient Style

 

We can think of better places to spend a birthday, but it was still a special memory.

It started at the crack of dawn with anesthesia and an MRI on her spine, but was uphill from there. 

Evelyn turned one at the Heartbridge Healing Home recovering from a major surgery.  She turned two in a hospital, but was surrounded by family and lots of love. 

The hospital and nurses brought her first birthday gift, a Little People house!  She also got balloons and stuffed animals from her Aunt Janie and from our wonderful adoption agency, Lifeline Children's Services. 

 

She's not quite sure how to play yet, but she LOVED the balloons, bags and tearing it all apart!

Her first birthday guest was Mrs. Katie who stopped by with lots of love during her work. 

Later that night, the troops arrived with a party!!!  This picture speaks so very, very much to what a family means.  I've looked at it a hundred times, tearing up at the look of joy as she sees her "BaBa".  Her day wasn't easy, but it was happy surrounded by the love of a family, which can fill any room.  That truth is just beginning to seep into her heart and give her a foundation to stand on.  Never again will she spend her birthday alone. 

 Her most special guest was her Grandma who came in from New York!!!  She came bearing a giant bag of Hello Kitty fun and a big smile as she met her granddaughter for the first time.  She also brought a birthday crown from Aunt Jen!

 

Her sibs thought the pizza and cupcake party on wheels was all kinds of fun!  

 There is something magical about grandparents.  Evie had hardly eaten all week, but when Grandma  handed Evie a piece of pizza, she gobbled it on up!

 

 Drew, Katie and Eli stopped by for some pizza partying as well.

 

Happy Birthday, dear one.  Your wait is over.  You have a family and you are so loved.  Soak it in and enjoy TWO.  There is lots of fun ahead.  We're gonna blow up a big ole party when you turn three.  Promise. 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Dreams DO Come True

We believe in birthdays and love making the day special. 

On her birthday, Sophs woke up to balloons in her bedroom and a birthday banner on the mantle. 

 

About six months ago, we checked out the Wizard of Oz from the library, and our girl fell hard!  She dared to dream of an Oz birthday party and a Dorothy costume for Halloween. 

We had no idea that it was the big anniversary year, so it was really fun when all the fuss hit. 

 

Every year, Mark makes the girls' birthday cakes.  They throw out requests...like The Wizard of Oz... and he doesn't even flinch.  This year's cake had a yellow brick rode, a rock candy Emerald City, a field of poppies, Munchkin Land, and a house sitting on top of the Wicked Witch of the West's legs.   

Our snack? Oh my, well lions and tigers and bears, of course. 
 

(Life is swirling around us, so we tried to keep the party to just a couple families.  We thought of many other sweet friends that we would have loved to have invited, but had to keep it simple. If we only had a brain, right now!) 

Sophs is a party planner, so we had a fun time following the yellow brick road together.  There's no place like home for a party, ya know?  We perused Pinterest, she picked a few kid-friendly touches, and we signed off before we got overwhelmed!  Her sweetest idea was that she wanted the trampoline covered with our rainbow parachute!
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high..." 

The porch got rainbowed up, streamer style. 

Sophs dreamed of rainbow lollipops and goody bags, so I made some fun little tags.  The giving of the goody bag is always the favorite part of the party. 

I

The girls cut fruit and spooned up rainbow fruit cups, and I was reminded to let THEM help and make decisions.  Man, I get busy sometimes and forget how much they love to be in the kitchen with me.  Prepping for this party was a memory in itself.  Release control, momma.  Release control! Girls, you did an awesome job!

Pin the heart on the tin man ended up being the most fun of all.  These little comedians made each other giggle the whole time. 

Such a fun party, my girl! 

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.