"I'm thankful for Five!"

The birthday girl!!

On Thanksgiving we always write in a little journal and tell what we are thankful for.  Even the youngest children participate by having their quotes written down. This year Joanna told Abigail to write that she is thankful for five. (by which she meant that she is thankjful that she would soon have a birthday)  Her birthday, celebrated today, is actually tomorrow.  She has been looking forward to turning five for a while now.  This being her first birthday with us, we decided to do up a big themed party with friends and family.  Her only wishes were for Cheetos and chocolate cake.  What an easy girl!!

So, today we celebrated our baby girl turning five with a Minnie Mouse birthday.  When she was asked at church this morning how old she was she replied that she was four, but that after lunch she would be five.  (that is when her party was so in her mind that was the turning point!)  She loved every minute of her birthday party.  She enjoyed the people who came to see her.  She loved having her cousins and friends play party games with her.  She delighted in the fun of musical chairs-minnie mouse style!  And she couldn't have been happier as she ate her cake and cheetos.   She was a champ at opening presents and holding them up for all to see, and made me proud when she used delightful manners to thank her guests personally after each gift that she opened.  All of that was followed up by some time on the trampoline since the weather allowed for outside play time!

Playing games with friends

As Joanna played games with friends and ate cake and had a great time, we praised God for the work he is already doing in her life.   I thanked him for giving her life and health.  I praised him that she knows the love of a father on earth and prayed that one day she would accept the love of her Father in heaven.  I marveled at the crowd of people who gathered around her to celebrate with her-the ones who prayed for her before they ever knew her; the ones who loved her before they ever saw her; the ones who accept her for who she is and who will continue to walk alongside her as she grows.  I thanked God for five short months with her and wondered how things would be five more years from now.  I welled up at the joy of being called "momma" by this little tiny girl that we call Joanna.

Chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream makes for a happy girl

Today was a really fun day of celebrating a really fun little girl.  It was even more fun celebrating with this little girl because she is OUR little girl.  Joanna, we love you to pieces.  You bless our lives-all 7 of us!  Happy birthday sweet girl!!!