More birthday stuff

Today is Will's birthday. Happy birthday to him! We're going to try going out to a restaurant. A few are open....

Also, we had thought that Bogdan's birthday box from Baba Julie was probably lost, since it was sent before the war. Not too long ago it showed up in Lviv, though. The shipping company asked her for a different address to send it to. Since there's no way to get it through to us, we had it rerouted to the family from the other side of our house. They're in Lviv region now. They got the package and called on video to open it "with" Bogdan. That was great fun all around. He let them eat the candy in the package, and they built the Lego set "together," too. They'll bring it to him when they can come home. (Please, God, let that be soon!)

Raia's birthday

These days I find it very hard to know what to write. We have to be careful what we say, and I just don't have words anyway, not to mention technical troubles. It seems like since I last wrote we've had about three days that felt good and normal, all three were kinds of holidays: Easter, end of school, and Raia's birthday. Since we're almost to our July birthday now, I'll post the pictures from our June birthday, which was one of those three special days.

So, first the preparations: Raia's friends actually came over on June 15, the day after her birthday. Before that I made a chocolate pie which Raia decorated beautifully, and our ducks both decided that they needed to have baths to be ready for company.

Then the guests arrived.

They played games inside...

and outside.

Reenacted old photos

 

Showed off our bomb shelter

...and enjoyed good food!

The whole group

 

Then, on Sunday morning her friends also gave her flowers at church:

We all enjoyed the celebrations, and we love our 17-year-old!