Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Birthday in Review

Thank you, so much, to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes for Alina :)!  

She was greeted last Thursday morning by her very own Mama & Papa and loving siblings, who were genuinely excited to celebrate her that day.  She LOVED her birthday--everything about it--and was beaming from the moment she got up. 

I went in to read to the preschool class that morning and to take a small birthday surprise for her classmates.  She was excited to see me, and ran right over with a huge smile to give me a hug.  She sat down in her spot when I began reading, but ended up standing right beside me as I finished the book.  

While the class sang to Alina, she looked around at each and every face in the group.  She was elated.  She honestly smiled and clapped the whole time.  And she got to wear a special "Birthday crown" handmade by her teacher (shown below).  It was a wonderful start to the day.

Alina received phone calls, cards and gifts from out-of-town family, and had her "special" birthday pizza dinner and dessert on Thursday.  On Friday, our extended family in town came over to celebrate, and she had more birthday fun and treats.

She truly enjoyed every.single.thing about her birthday--cards (she looked closely at each card), balloons, phone calls, gifts (she liked every gift, even the tissue paper in the gifts), singing, cake...all of it.  She really seemed to linger on every detail.  

It brings tears to my eyes, thinking about this little girl and how much her life has changed.

Celebrating Alina's fourth birthday, and her arrival into our lives, was more fun than any of us could have imagined.  

11 comments:

  1. *sigh* It just makes me SO happy just to read about the way Alina celebrated her birthday!

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  2. What a joyful day, so glad she is home to enjoy everyday with her family!!

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  3. this post makes me HAPPY!!!!!!!

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  4. This post brightened my day. So happy for Alina. :)

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  5. SOOOOO wonderful! Happy birthday sweet Alina!

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  6. that is so sweet! I am sure it was such an amazing day for her and for you and your family! What a lucky little girl! I love hearing stories like this of what we have to look forward to!

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  7. She's so lucky to have you as her Mom!! What a wonderful gift you have given her!!

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  8. I love the birthday collage! It is STILL mind-blowing to me to picture Alina in her 'mug shots' from the orphanage and to see her as she really is! Absolutely amazing!!! And so are you!!! Seems to me another birthday girl will be wearing that crown in just a few short weeks!

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  9. happy birthday sweet alina :) and lisa i just had to share with you that miss maggie rae is finally sucking out of the honey bear straw ALL BY HERSELF! you emailed me a few months ago when i asked you how you transitioned bridget from nursing to ? and you told me about the honey bear and that is all we have been using and our girl can finally do it without me squeezing everytime!! so just a huge thank you to you for this and for you getting miss bridget out there to be the first sweet girl we 'met' the day maggie was born. huge hug for all the inspiration . you are an amazing momma :)

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