Birthday Party!

Last week we packed up and traveled to St. Louis to be with our family for Oksana's very first birthday party. We had such a wonderful time back "home". We got to visit the zoo, hang out with family and friends, and do house hunting (more on that in my next post).

Her party was amazing. She had been waiting for this day for months! It was only family but that quickly grew into a good size crowd. At times she seemed a bit overwhelmed, prefering to stay in a room with less people, but overall she had a blast. She wore a beautiful dress and a tiara for her special day. Some of her favorite parts of her day were opening presents, eating cake and ice cream, and releasing balloons into the sky after the party. My favorite part of the party was watching everyone sing Happy Birthday to her. We were all crammed in my mother in law's dining room and it was truly an amazing experience to see the look on her face as everyone sang to her. She was being celebrated and she knew it! It was a first for her in so many ways and it was one of those moments where I am struck by how her life has changed. Here are some pictures of her special day: