Birthday Girls--and the Welcome Party

One of the goals, once we were matched with Ruby, was to have her home before her next birthday.  God saw to that, and today Ruby turns two. It has been a low-key kind of day, but the weekend was all about birthday bliss!

Sapphire has been requesting a dolphin cake since May when Sophie T. reported that this was what her grandma would be making for her birthday. They must have been trading "how-we-will-get-the-grown-ups-to-do-our-bidding" secrets.

This is what I came up with after searching the internet for easy ideas.  The ones I saw there all involved drawing a dolphin in icing (or sculpting one out of fondant). I came up with this instead. The paper cut outs were easy and they let the big girls help design the final product.

We had a family birthday party at my parents' house with my siblings and sister-in-law. My in-laws are planning a party next weekend; we like to draw out birthdays around here!

Pearl is 6.25!

We got three hats in an market in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, and I plan to bring them out for birthdays. The two big girls wore theirs, but Ruby barely let it touch her head.

Sapphire turns 3!

Ruby turns 2!

The aunts and uncles had picked out some real winning gifts.










This dolly got a whoop out of Ruby, who swung her around and promptly dropped her

Then, in the late afternoon, the "Welcome to the Family Ruby/Happy Birthdays Too" party began. My parents graciously opened their home to our Chester County family who cannot easily get to our house two counties over.

It was great to introduce Ruby to so many family members.  She received a big welcome from some really nice great-aunts and uncles, cousins, and long-time church friends. She charmed them all, I think.  They are pretty charming themselves!

As for other updates, she seems to be doing very well with her daddy.  Because I had to teach, he took them to a wedding rehearsal and then on to Chester County Thursday night, so she relied on him for about 18 hours straight. I think this warmed her up to the idea of him as her protector.  I know we are not yet even in her eyes, but maybe soon we'll get there. 

And I just watched Sapphire and Ruby play very nicely together. Pearl is on a play date this afternoon, so the little girls were able to play in their own meandering style--less narrative, but less tension too.

Thanks to all the friends and family who are helping to show Ruby what a family is all about!