ONE YEAR, ONE BIRTHDAY

I just cannot believe it. We are days from celebrating Elisha’s first full year HOME. Today, we celebrate her birthday. Elisha is now five years old. FIVE! I really can’t believe how quickly this year has passed.

She has been waiting far too long for this day to come. For the past few weeks, we have been talking about her upcoming birthday, and she has been so excited about it. I don’t know that she really understands exactly what it is all about, but she does know that there is a party, that there is food, and CAKE, and that the day is all about her. Today’s plan is to spend the day celebrating her in her favorite ways. We’ll eat birthday pancakes, go swimming (her favorite activity,) and have her one of her favorite dinners- pesto chicken pasta, the  exact same first meal that we had with her back in R*ssia.

Next weekend, we have her big official party. How perfect that her homecoming and her birthday are so close to one another. It’s a huge milestone party- one year home, first party, fifth birthday. It’s a way to say thank you to each and every person who brought her here. I wish you all could be there to celebrate. She is lovable, and I think two minutes in her presence would show you just how worth the journey she is.

I put together a little something, but that will wait until I post party pictures. Instead, I’ll leave you with this little nugget of fun. 

In case you are wondering, life is good. Elisha is smart, and funny, and enjoys life with her brothers, her mama, her daddy, and her dog. She is friendly, and lively, and strong and healthy. She is beautiful, she is sweet, she is independent. She is very much a typical girly girl with a love for fashion and sparkles and Taylor Swift and the Fresh Beat Band. 

Even though I don't update this blog often (I do have a family blog, so if you aren't a troll feel free to email me for the address ;) if you'd like to follow along,) I do plan to return to add a few pictures from the parties. 

In the meantime, I ask that you keep the orphans of Russia in your prayers. Pray that hearts are changed, that people will recognize how important family is, and that, regardless of borders, every child deserves to have a family to call his or her own.