Happy Birthday to MK!
Our family has been on a Survivor watching kick and that inspired us to do a fun, challenge birthday party to celebrate our favorite 11 year old.
We actually switched it up a bit and it was a bit more like the Amazing Race....
and it was fabulous! We had outdoor, physical challenges....
we had Detours and Advantages....
we had complicated, hard-to-solve math problems....
and we had food challenges! Japanese KitKat anyone?
The girls were troopers and cheered each other along the way.
The final key was to solve a puzzle using the cups from the food challenge.....they did it! We were so proud of the way they worked together!
It was time for cookie cake and ice cream....and MK wanted to light her own candle!
Speaking of candles.....when we were in China adopting MK, we purchased a flower birthday candle that would sing Happy Birthday to you once it was lit....I thought it was the best thing ever. For MK's first birthday home (she was two), we got the candle out and used it on her cake.....and she screamed!!! She did not like that candle one bit.
Thankfully, at the age of 11, she was excited to light the birthday candle and hear its tune.
We opened gifts....MK has some of the sweetest friends. One ballet friend drew a picture of a fox on MK's card. MK was so excited! MK will be the Fox in the upcoming performance of the Roar of Love and she was thrilled to have her very own pic of a fox!
Just as I am thankful for my family each day, I am also thankful for the friendships that MK has made at school and at church and ballet. My girl doesn't just trust anyone....and she is shy to boot, so to see her in her element with all of her favorite peeps is heartwarming!
Eleven short years ago, a beautiful baby girl, with big brown eyes and the most perfect toned skin was born in a land across the ocean. I am sure her first cries were fierce and she let the world know that a fighter was born. She is our MK, our brave, beautiful, vibrant, full of life, MK. She is our girl who is always on task....I am especially thankful for this trait. During a time in our family life when things can get a bit crazy and I may not remember all that needs to be done, I am grateful she gives me grace and reminds me to do things until the job is done! MK is in her eighth year of ballet and will be performing the role of the Fox in the upcoming ballet production of the Roar of Love. This year she has also danced in Beauty and the Beast and The Nutcracker. In addition to ballet, she LOVES gymnastics and has successfully self-taught herself how to flip here and kick over there. She loves it! We have mats and trampolines and balance beams....hour upon hour she tries and doesn't give up until the task is accomplished. At school, she participates in the art club, chorus and cheer club. She was recently nominated by her teachers to join the National Beta Club. She is in 5th grade now, the last year of elementary school, and she is opening up to the idea of middle school. I love the friendships she has made over the past three years....her friends are some of the sweetest girls and it is so exciting getting to watch them all grow together!
Happiest of birthdays MK! You are my sunshine and we all love you to pieces and thank God each day for you!
