Happy 2nd Birthday!

Today is Anya Rashi's birthday! It was 6 degrees below zero this morning when we drove the boys to school. Thankfully, it wasn't quite this cold last year when we were bringing Anya Rashi home!

Last year, we celebrated her birthday on our way home from O'Hare. Our drivers, friends Tina and Todd, stopped off at my sister Alicia's house, where her friend Renee had a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake waiting for us. Peter's parents and brother Bob drove to Milwaukee to meet Anya Rashi, and celebrate with us.

Then, after two more hours in the car, we were home just in the nick of time -- it was just a little before midnight -- so we could always say that she arrived home on her birthday! :o)

This year, we were a lot less tired, and very happy and amazed that a year has gone by. On Sunday afternoon, Anya Rashi's grandparents came over, along with Aunt Alicia and Uncle Matt. The rest of our family will see her in 9 days for Christmas.

She loved every minute of her party! She was fascinated by the Elmo balloon, the red balloons, and her Elmo cupcakes -- and she had fun opening her presents, with a little (okay, a lot!) of help from big brother Nathan. We've never had a birthday so close to Christmas in our family, so everyone agreed that it felt a little bit like an early Christmas celebration.

Today, in honor of her actual birthday, I'm trying a new recipe for Chicken Makhani. If it's any good, I'll post it later. :o) Tonight, we will show her the video footage taken of her at the Matri Sneha baby home, and look at the scrapbook Alicia made of our India trip.

There's a song we've sung to all our kids by folk singer Red Grammer that says everything about our joy today:
On the day that Anya was born
On the day Anya Rashi was born
On the day Anya Rashi was born
The angels sang and they played their horns
And they danced
They danced
Then they smiled and they raised up their hands
On the day
On the day
Anya Rashi was born