We celebrated our sweet boy with a big party. Come to think of it, all of his parties have been pretty big in China. It's hard to not invite those we're close to--and that's a lot of people, especially this year! Since our house is too small, we had it at the school. Dear friends Lauren and Emily helped me decorate; had they not helped, I would've upheld my tradition of being severely late for my son's party. (Malachi's 1st: an hour late, then everyone had to help me decorate..ha!)
The theme was Cars, so it was fun and pretty easy to decorate.
Friends were gracious enough to bring presents. He got lots of cars...appropriate. :)
This was my first double-layer cake. It was so-so. I'll use a smaller pan next time so the layers aren't so thin!
Before his party, we talked through the moment when everyone would sing to him. I reminded him he didn't need to be scared or embarrassed. He assured me he wouldn't be. Well, maybe next year...
Michael was in charge of games and did great with choosing them! First was a video series in which people had to guess what happened next. So funny! Next,
was a minute to win it type game where 2 people had to keep 6 balloons
in the air for as long as possible. The winners? 9 seconds! ha!
We had lots of fun and are thankful for so many people who came to love on our little guy! I should also mention several people sent him packages and cards from the States--thank ya'll sooo much! He may not be able to fully appreciate the extra efforts, but this Momma does!!
Some extra pics from the day...
We are so thankful for a fun-loving boy. This past year, I have seen him come out of his little shell. He is now walking up to kids he doesn't know, saying hello and shaking their hand, and ready to play if they aren't too scared of "the foreign kid." Now that Malachi is old enough to move around and have a personality, I have seen Josiah tweak his a bit. For now, Malachi is the instigator for most things--especially when it comes to anything involving risk. In the past, Josiah wouldn't do anything involving risk....no jumping off things, getting dirty, or falling backwards on the bed. After he watches Malachi do it successfully, though, he's all in! I'm mostly glad for this change. He was a little too timid in the past and now his little bro is teaching him how to live a little! He's still very compassionate and caring. Any time someone is hurt, he's quick to apologize (even if it wasn't his fault) and offer them comfort, sometimes insisting that he can pray for them. I love this about him. As with many kids, his memory is amazing. When I take the effort to teach him something new, be it Chinese or a Bible verse or whatever, he has it down pat within 2 days, and hasn't forgotten them yet! I'm looking forward to this next year, to watch him grow and flourish in new ways!
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