Happy Birthday Nikolas!!

Three years ago (May 5, 2009) in the small town of Dobrich, Bulgaria, a woman gave birth to a tiny baby boy.  I'll most likely never meet her, but I do think of her often, especially on days like today.  I wonder if she's thinking about the son she never got to know.  I wish I could let her know that he's doing well and that he is surrounded by so many people who love him dearly.

We had a wonderful party on Saturday to celebrate his third birthday (and his first birthday at home with a family).  I don't think he understood what we were celebrating, but he clearly knew that the party was all about him.  Thirteen of his family members helped him celebrate this special day with a cookout, presents and cake.  He was excited from the moment he woke up and saw the balloons to the time he went to bed that night.

It was a warm, sunny day that was perfect for grilling.  Jason grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and we also had chips, macaroni salad, an Elmo fruit tray and an Oscar veggie tray for lunch.  Putting together the fruit and veggies trays was so much fun.  I enjoyed having the opportunity to be creative with food.  My friend Valerie made an adorable (and tasty!) Elmo cake.  He also opened many great gifts that included a remote control car, a lawnmower that blows bubbles, a bowling set, a golf set, a dump truck, an ABC Dino, a water table, a small table and chair set, a Mickey Mouse piano, a DVD, glow in the dark bubbles, and some new clothes.  We're having a great time playing together with his new toys.

Last year at this time we were waiting on signatures at the MOJ while our baby boy was in an orphanage on the other side of the world.  Now he's been home with us for a little over nine months.  I enjoyed being able to celebrate this very special day and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays together.