Marina's a Tenner!

Well, I'm only a month late in sharing 10th birthday photos of our lovely firstborn daughter, Marina--poor girl! I win the bad mother award, but she did do okay in the gift department so she can't complain. This year Marina had a low-key birthday, a more mature event that she celebrated with her friend, Alexandra. Alex spent the night and the next day we had lunch and went shopping. It was my kind of celebration and Marina seemed content. I'm sure she'd like a big deal made out of her birthday, however, we are trying to simplify and get back to a party/friend celebration every other year (with a family one every year, of course). Ever since we've lived overseas it seems like birthdays are an excuse to invite all the friends over since you don't know who is going to be moving at any given time, and it "might be their last chance to have a party" with them. Sometimes it seems like the parents and kids want to outdo one another and the parties often end up draining the financial reserves . . . I won't even mention how much we paid for inflatable jumpers in France. It brings a tear to the eye!

But I digress, this is about Marina, our beautiful Marina. Her doctor christened her the "Sumo" because she was an average size baby, 7 lb. 14 oz. Apparently, next to the alcohol and caffeine-addicted underweight french babies of Perigueux, she was enormous. No slight to my French friends, but Marina was healthy and cute while the others looked sickly and preemie; it was like 5 lbs. was a pretty normal birthweight! She was pretty stubborn, though, at ten days late. My doctor insisted she was coming and an induction was not in the cards. Thanks, man, I really needed that! Marina has continued to charm her way through life and she is full of life in general. When she is not dreaming of becoming a star, she is listening to her iPod nano and ripstiking around the driveway. Marina is a gentle soul; you may catch her giving her brothers a hard time yet she is the greatest big sister and still likes to hang out occasionally with her parents. She also has a crazy streak that calls to mind a young Whitney Hamberlin :)

We love our Marina, and hope that 10 is a magical year for this blossoming young lady!