Happy Birthday, Audra

Audra is SIX!

Our sweet, tiny, little princess is 6!

She is six years old today, but...
today is the first.time.ever that her birthday has been celebrated.

Birthdays are usually not celebrated in China's orphanages.  Usually, the child's actual date of birth is unknown.  A birthdate is assigned to them based on an estimation of how old the child is when they are found.  Audra was found on October 6th and estimated to be 9 days old.  Thus, a birthdate of September 27th was given to her.

Regardless, September 27th will forever be the day we celebrate HER. 

So today, 9-27-13, we celebrated Audra's sixth birthday with:

Her 1st ever birthday balloons,

Her 1st ever birthday cake.

and

Her 1st ever birthday presents!

She woke up to a balloon bouquet in her room...

and she was super excited. 

Since I knew she really wouldn't understand that today was HER day,

a day to celebrate the blessing that she is,

I was hoping that balloons in her room when she woke up would help her realize that today was a special day.

 

Then it was on to breakfast, a very favorite of her...

donut holes!

 

She wore a adorable birthday girl shirt with matching birthday hair bows.

This was Maura's birthday outfit from her 4th birthday.

The shirt was definitely a bit too big for my little munchkin!

 

 

Aunt Brandie, her four kids, Grandpa, and Aunt Kristy joined us for dinner, cake and presents!

 

Audra was not sure what to think of everyone singing to her...

My heart was about to burst as we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Audra...

knowing that this was probably the first time she had been sung to,

the first time she was being celebrated!

It was overwhelming, and my mind raced thinking about all she has been through in her short six years of life.  And how, by the grace of God, we have found her and she has found us.

Simply Miraculous!



She loved the candles.

She alternated between trying to blow out the candles,

trying to touch the lit candles,

and clapping with excitement!



 

Presents were a hit!

I was wondering if she would understand the concept of unwrapping a present.

Well...she caught on really quickly! 

This look of excitement lit up her face with each and every present she opened.

Absolutely priceless!

She melts my heart...

 

Happy, happy birthday my sweet, beautiful daughter.

 

 

I will always be amazed at how lucky and blessed we are to have you.

You are ours...and we are yours...

forever and ever and ever!