Hannah is 6!

Yesterday was a special day - not only was it Thanksgiving, but also Hannah's birthday. It was a busy and fun day. We enjoyed a beautiful worship service in the morning, celebrated with our own family, and then headed to my parents' house for a wonderful dinner and party for Hannah.

Hannah was excited to receive our gift of Felicity, an historical American Girl doll from the the colonial era. It was the only thing she wanted for her birthday. She has been asking for it since last spring. When we went to Chicago this summer, I purchased it on the sly and then hid it in our van. She was so surprised to find out we've had it since then. She couldn't believe I could be that sneaky. She wanted to know all the details, but a mom's gotta keep some secrets. :-)

When we gave Hannah her gifts, we kept Felicity hidden so she only had a few small items to open. After she opened them I asked her to pose with her gifts for a picture. We thought she might make a big deal about hardly getting anything. On the contrary, she seemed content with what she had received - she had a grateful heart. We felt so proud of her reaction. When Doug and I pretended that we had forgotten to give her a gift, she seemed so surprised that there was another gift. She was ecstatic when she unwrapped the gift and realized it was Felicity.

Thanksgiving dinner with my family was nice, but we missed having my brother Dan, sister-in-law Angela, and nephew Andrew with us. Angela recently had surgery and is still recovering, so they stayed home in Cleveland. We can't wait to see you at Christmas! Big hugs to Andrew!

After dinner it was presents and cupcake time (we also enjoyed yummy pies from Phil). Hannah was so grateful for all the special gifts she received. My mom found the coolest books for Hannah. We especially love the Tooth Fairy book that came with a purple velour pouch in honor of Hannah losing her first tooth last month. When Hannah opened an outfit for her Felicity doll she wondered how Nana knew to get her an outfit for Felicity. In the end she decided it was Fairy Mom that helped Nana know to buy the outfit (it was actually Fairy Mom who bought the outfit for Nana and Papa this summer in Chicago).

When we got home she had lots of fun playing with her Lite Brite from Uncle Mark, Mirsada and Ajla (I can't wait to type Aunt Mirsada). I had always wanted one as a kid but never had one, so I was delighted to be able to help her create an ice cream cone. It was a work of art. :-)

In the evening, Hannah and Doug headed to a hotel with Doug's family. Unfortunately, I had to stay home to complete my homework assignment for my online class. Yes, it was actually due on Thanksgiving, and since the class had just started on Tuesday I wasn't able to work ahead. Hannah and Doug had a great finish to Hannah's birthday at the hotel though.

Happy birthday, sweetheart! We can't believe you are already 6! Dad and I love you to Kalahari and back, Disney World and back, China and back, and to the moon and back. XOXOXOXOXOXO