happy birthday, sabin!

our pooka is 8 today!  in putting together this post, i realized what a lot she did over the past year, especially for one who was only seven years old. and now she's eight! it sounds trite to say that i can hardly believe it, but i can hardly believe it. i am more amazed at her every day. just as an example, last evening, she played a card game in the whist family (davoserjas in danish) with five adults and she won. fair and square and by playing smart. she's just so cool.

sabin's year in review:

she climbed down to møn's klint (and back up), twice.

february 2008

and january 2009

she made a snowman at easter:

she went to barcelona together with her parents and big sisters:

she endulged her entrepreneurial spirit and made a little stand to sell her parents handmade rubber stamp erasers, tomatoes and muffins:

she explored nature:

she went to munich and got to meet some of the mad cousins:

she ate meatballs in ikea (several times):

she spent time in an idyllic place with a good friend:

she took a mini-cruise to oslo:

she relaxed in the gold lounge before flying all by herself to chicago.
she also joined SAS's frequent flyer program on that trip (because they finally opened it up to kids):

she did jump shots with her cousins at navy pier in chicago:

she ate strange things that turned her tongue black:

and drove halfway across the midwest (and back) with her cousins and aunt monica:

she swung at countless pitches thrown by grandpa:

got extraordinarily dirty on the 4th of july at a fishing derby:

attended a huge family reunion:

swam in the missouri river:

went to the omaha zoo with her grandparents & cousins:

REALLY learned to swim at swimming lessons in iowa:

logged far too many hours playing mario on the DS:

got her first mac:

helped with the building project (at least the lunch part):

hostessed an extremely successful halloween party:

made all kinds of creative projects:

ate sushi every chance she got:

lit sparklers in the house:

leaped off a WWII german bunker:

left 3 candles burning on her birthday cake

but had a great birthday party with her class:

and opened presents at the breakfast table this morning:

i'm really looking forward to seeing what her eighth year holds!