Birthday Girl!

This is a picture of Jan with Baby Elena taken about a week before Jan's birthday. Wow the kids sure loved having a baby around for a few days and I hear the lament "I wish we could see Baby Elena!" often.

Jan's birthday was on Saturday and David got to be home for the day. He took Jan out to breakfast and then stopped by the pet shelter near our house so that she could show him the dogs that live there. Just waiting for a home. Hint, hint. I was prety proud of Jan this year. She is a social person and really loves people. The last several years she has wanted to have a birthday party and it has not worked out. People don't show up, or there just isn't anybody to invite. This year we had plans made in advance with a dear family who are missionaries to Ukraine and are just in the area for a few months. So much excitement, looking forward to a birthday spent with some special friends since there are five children, all close in age to ours. But those plans had to be canceled because of sickness. Jan took it with a great attitude and just enjoyed the day in spite of the disappointment.

Jan's birthday was also the day for our home school group's Art and Talent show. All the children entered paintings/drawings and the three oldest played the piano in the recital. They all did great and handled pressure and being in front of people alot better than I did when I was their age.

Sure glad that God sent Jan to live with us 9 years ago. She is such an important person in our family and this last year has really grown up in many ways, always looking for ways to help me and make my load easier. She really loves the Lord and has made it a priority to spend time in the Word every day, without any prompting from me. She got glasses a few months ago and it has been an adjustment to try to wear them in all of her day to day adventures, but it has been worth it since she really was not seeing well without them.

We are talking more and more about moving and looking forward to it, but Jan has mixed feelings about it. Glad to go, but finding it hard to leave the familiar and start over again. Jan's birthday was the last Carne family birthday in Ohio!