The Seven Puffs...Trying To Live By Faith: Our Month of Birthdays

We are jammed packed with birthdays in the summer...five of us in three months. And the last two years we have three of them in six weeks, immediately when we return to HK from our summer in the U.S. I am not always up to the challenge, and have failed miserably in the past. Luckily, my children have pretty low expectations, and we have enough people in our family that it always feels like a party:)

But this year, I feel I did a commendable job. Sarah got the short end of the stick...because her birthday comes first in the barrage, and she doesn't know any better. The running joke in our family is that her real birthday is August 15th...well, that is what Andy is trying to brainwash everyone to believe. We have three other children born on the 15th of a month, and I was due to be induced that day. But the Lord had different plans, and she came 6 hours earlier that our plans. The funny thing is that she is our only pm baby...and since it was already 9/15 in Hong Kong, Andy thinks he has a legitimate case. Too bad I was there, too, and felt EVERY feeling of that birth...on the 14th!

So Sarah's family birthday was low-key...just our little family of 8 (we include Marina, or as Sarah likes to say, "Meena!") It's funny, I actually love that she yells someone else's name almost as much as mine!

Marina and Sarah play peek-a-boo

Sarah gets lots of help opening presents

Sarah loves her cake

After she eats her cake...yes, I took her dress off:)

Twelve days later is Miss Abigail Kate. I knew that I needed to step up my game a bit since she was turning six AND would be in school for her birthday. So, I invited another sweet family who has three girls, one of which is named Kate and she and Abby are very similar and enjoy each other's company. They came over for lunch and a swim, and we all had a ball. We are very appreciative of this family, and grateful they could come over and help us celebrate our sweet girl. Then, I made sure I knew when we were celebrating August birthdays in her classroom, and coordinated with the other moms for a cake and juice. Whew...made it through another one:)

Lots of cupcakes for Abby

Abby with her teacher, Mrs. Miller

Abby doesn't need help opening presents:)

Silly girls...Abby and Kate!

Finally, Miss Emma Rose. Her birthday is actually on September 15th, but because of Andy's hectic travel schedule, she had her first solo friend birthday sleepover party two weeks early. She invited three of her closest friends from school to come over after school, swim, eat spaghetti (Emma's favorite), paint nails, decorate cupcakes and watch a movie. It was a full afternoon/evening before two of the girls had to be picked up...but her longest friend was able to stay the night and most of the next day.
Then this past weekend, our family did birthday gifts, swim and dinner at the club while Andy was home for 48 hours. We had some really good family down time, watched Cosby, and just hung out...things that our introvert loves. After Andy left, Monday night I made Emma's favorite chocolate cheesecake for her birthday cake (Andy doesn't like cheesecake anyway)...and she approved:) Finally, I sent in brownies for Emma's classroom.