back to asia: the group birthday party

Summer is a good time to be a kid in our asia-city, because chances are, you were going to have a birthday. Of the 14 kids in our city, 7 of them have summer birthdays. Rather than celebrating them each individually, Amy organized a group birthday celebration. Thanks, Amy, for thinking ahead and putting it all together! (Plus, group parties mean all the adults get to hang out together to!)

The plan one afternoon in June was to meet at a movie theater that was - tada! - showing Toy Story 3. I waited until the last possible minute to tell the girls, because things change so often here and I didn't want them to be disappointed when Buzz and Woody were not speaking English. BUT - it was in fact in English! And they got to go with all their best friends! There was so much happiness on the faces of those kids, it made me wish I was five. Or eight. Or twenty-eight. (Yes, I was happy too!)

Right off the bat, my girls found their respective boys. [Just the other day when we were on our way to meet Alex, Peter and Savannah, Samantha said with a sigh, "I'm going to meet my truelove." Where did she pick up that phrase!?!] Anyway, here she is with her true love - with her sister and her beau in the background, hamming it up for the camera. I didn't even see them in the background when I snapped this picture, but it's now one of my forever favorites!

All the kids got together and indulged me (several times) for a group pic and a Buzz Lightyear impression:
Shocker - Emma and Alex sat together:
And Samantha chose a spot by Peter (and I heard she asked a million questions during the movie - "What's happening? Why is he doing that? Oh no!")
After the movie (at which I shed not just a few tears) all my pals and I took a last picture - and I still miss these gals:
Across the street from the movie theater is a little water-wading park, and that was our next destination. The only problem? It was across the street. First, I had to make sure that all my girls were holding someone's hand; I meant they could hold my hand, but they both quickly found someone else's hand to hold!
Then Uncle Brad led the whole gang across the four lane street....while I hung back...and took photos....in the middle of the street. =)
Amy had made rainbow cupcakes, and Samantha (being one of the summer birthdays and first in line) quickly gobbled hers up.
It was a hot day, but we were playing in spring-fed water so we eventually got cooled off. I was so thankful for a chance to get all the kids to play together and make a few more memories.



I love Emma and Alex in this bottom picture - as if they're introducing the group to everyone:
These kids are still not far from our hearts and my kids often think of them. Last night, Emma told me that whenever she sees the color blue, she thinks of Alex. She looked at my shirt, found the blue on it, and said, "See? I'm thinking of Alex now!" And in her class when she discovered a girl named Emma W., she said, "Maybe she's Emma W---!" (putting her in the same family as Clara Anne).

It was a great summer party and a fun way to celebrate with our friends before we left - thanks amy for the great party idea!