Do you see the little 9 year old cutie pie on the right?
This is a photo of Irina and her friend Irina in Ukraine (yes, they shared the same birthday month AND name). Thanks to a program called "An Orphan Smiles" each child who was sponsored received a birthday cake at some time during their birthday month. (And thanks to that we have some photos of Irina from when she was 8-10 years old.)
In our exuberance to celebrate our dear daughter last year, we set the bar entirely too high. Oh, the expectations leading up to her birthday were nearly impossible to meet. There were so many emotions prior to the anticipated birthday. "I cannot wait until my birthday!" None of the kids settled easily for bed on Thursday evening. The boys were just as excited as Irina. Irina (our late sleeper) was up and ready by 6am! Oh dear.
After gift opening and a delicious omelet made by Daddy, we were off on a field trip to Shirley Plantation with classmates of the older boys. It was a great outing for the whole family. The weather was a bit breezy, but 79 degrees was perfect for a picnic following our tour.
It's hard to believe that same little girl turned TWELVE today!
Ahem, Aaron... I don't think you are supposed to pick those daffodils. uh oh.
She enjoyed the afternoon building legos and playing with gifts.
Whereas the boys would be so embarrassed to be sung to at a restaurant,
she really enjoyed her Mexican serenade. She loves the spotlight!
Happy Birthday sweet girl! You have learned so much in the past year and
you are growing into a lovely young lady. We love you!
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