Of parties and 2 year olds!

Hey, sorry for the unexpected bloggy break. I'll spare you all of the boring details of how life has thrown me more than I can keep up with therefore keeping me from posting. Suffice it to say, planning a 2 year old birthday party for 30+ people takes a lot out of a mommy!

And that's just what I've been up to this past week. Quinn turned 2 on Saturday and in his honor, we held a big 'ole bash Friday night. We nearly had to paddle there since it had rained in record levels all week. But we made it.

Because we have nearly out grown our home (dare I even say this when so much of the world lives in a 2 room shack?) I so badly did NOT want to host this big party in our house. So I didn't!

I utilized my resources and decided to host it in the basement of a dorm where Steve works. (Why does Steve's place of employment have dorms you wonder??? Strange? Yes. Convenient? Yes- when you're hosting a large party!)

We ordered in Chinese food from the local Chinese Buffet. (ummm... stereotypical when your birthday boy is Chinese? Maybe... but we're gonna ride that wave for awhile.)
It was a really fun night. We kind of used the night not only as a birthday party but also as a kind of welcome home party for friends who have yet to meet him. There were plenty of kids running around to make it super lively even if the adults outnumbered them.

Quinn was the guest of honor but honestly, he didn't know the difference. He was pretty focused on the food all night. I'm not sure WHAT I was thinking but I had M&M's set out on several tables and I'm pretty sure my three kids ate a pound and a half between them.

What would a kid party be without an obligatory game of pin the tail on the donkey? I'm pretty sure that this was Quinn's first go at it. I'm pretty sure it won't be his last. (Only 2 of the 10 kids would actually wear the blindfold. There may be some traumatized kids wandering around the Miami Valley after their go at the donkey. Oops.)

And don't you know that Quinn raked in the loot all night but was more interested in the crappy party favors I passed out at the end of the night?! Sorry friends who brought such nice gifts! Next time feel free just to give 2 cent rings and some glow in the dark bracelets. Apparently that'll do.

Unless, of course, you're my daughter. You might remember her last birthday party. After opening each lovely gift that our dear friends brought her, she would reply, "Is this ALL I get?" *Maybe* one of my more embarrassing moments.

I guess she is evaluating the level of generosity here. Thankfully, she kept her mouth shut this time around.

Whose birthday is it anyway? I'm pretty sure Turner thought he died and went to heaven. He may have reconsidered his initial judgement on this whole brother thing... trucks, trains and cars when it's not YOUR birthday???? Maybe having a brother ain't so bad afterall.

Here is Olivia with her buddy Joshua. He and his family are part of our house church and they've been our friends for a year now. Sweet Joshua picked a fighter jet out of his own collection to give to Quinn. Which Turner immediately confiscated. Isn't that the sweetest? I mean the gesture by Joshua, not Turner.

As for Quinn's first birthday with us, I had several reflections. The biggest one being the morning of October 10th (the day the orphanage gave him as his birthday, which by the way is a pretty good guess since he was delivered to the orphanage while he still had is umbilical cord attached.)

My thoughts that morning wandered to that day 2 years ago when another mother held him in her arms, devastated. THIS was not the way, I'm sure, she envisioned his birthday to be. And then several days later, feeling *forced* by life to abandon him on a chair in a hospital waiting room. Fast forward to Friday night. Two years later. Another mother so overwhelmed by God's grace. THIS lovable, chubby, sweet little boy *gets* to join our family. Is surrounded by 30+ friends who love him. In some ways he's all of our baby. They've prayed for him, gave toward the adoption, celebrated his union with his forever family. In two short years he goes from abandonment to lavish love. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, QUINN. and many more.