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| The awesome picture is courtesy of Bri, our family artist. Every picture he draws is always unique, colorful, and fun! |
Rhea had her 8th birthday last week! It actually fell on the first day of school, so she asked if we could celebrate it the day before so she could have playtime with her new presents. :) We were happy to accomodate. Her second request was that we have the Elders over to help celebrate. Briant and I were planning on canceling our weekly Wednesday night dinner to celebrate her birthday and also to have time for Briant to give them a Father's blessing before the start of the new school year. But with tears in her eyes (after I told her that we weren't planning on having the Elders over), she begged for them to come to help celebrate "or else it's not going to be a real party." The Elders had been here to help celebrate other birthdays we've had over the last few years, so she's right--something would be missing. And she loves having the missionaries here; we all do. So we called them to make sure they could come (we hadn't talked to them since before we left on our month long R&R), and Elder Dawson who answered almost started crying when we told him we were back and ready to have them come and celebrate Rhea's birthday with us. "We've missed you guys and our weekly visit to the P---- house! Yes, we'll be there!"
On the morning of, we had to wake the kids up early so Rhea had time to open her presents before Bri went to work. She loved her new toys, especially her new watch and her own little radio on which Bri has downloaded her favorite Enya songs and Celtic music. She loves dancing around her room to the music and of course singing along. When she plays in her room alone, she says the music helps her so she doesn't feel scared. :)
That night when the Elders came, we sang to Rhea in English and then in Portuguese to Elder Dawson and Elder Mills (both Americans with their American comp Elder Delano and Mutombo from Mozambique) who had just had birthdays that we had to catch up on too. They were turning 20. While we were gone on our trip, Elder Mills was transferred back into our area. We had him here before when he first arrived in Angola last year as a greenie. In fact he came and ate at our house with the Elders just a few hours after he arrived, hungry and jetlagged. I don't think he fully appreciated the American "breakfast for dinner" with Costco syrup and hashbrowns that we served him the first time he came as much as he does now! :)
Savvy was so excited about cutting and serving the cake that she helped to make so we forgot to get pictures of Rhea with the whole cake. Of course she didn't care! Thomas made the number 8 on the center from melted plastic beads. :)
We love our "Rhea Sunshine" who has brought so much joy into our lives! She truly is beautiful inside and out and her sweet and happy spirit is reflected in her smile. We can't believe she is 8 years old already. We look forward to celebrating Rhea's 8th birthday and baptism in November with grandparents (ward members, friends, etc.) when we finish our time here in Angola!
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