kindergarten graduation!

Daniella is third in line.

Today was a really special day for one of my kiddos.  In Haiti kindergarten graduation is one of the biggest events celebrated and today was the BIG day for my sweet Daniella!  I'm still in awe at the progress she made this school year.  She started the year struggling and ended it knowing how to both read and write.  To say that I was proud today is a complete understatement.  It was all I could do to keep myself from crying during the entire ceremony.  She spent weeks rehearsing lines, dance routines, and songs.  Daniella has literally been counting down the hours and days until graduation and her party.  Several days ago she hinted to me that there would be Coke at her party.  She just wanted to make sure that I would drink some and that I would be able to come to her party.  Her family re-mudded their home and painted the door and window frames for the big event.  She knew that this week was all about celebrating her and oh did she enjoy each and every minute of it.  I am pretty sure she didn't sleep at all the entire week!  The ceremony was beautiful and the students did an amazing job.  After the ceremony Leslee and I headed to Chambrun to celebrate with a few of our friends.  It is a huge honor to be invited to a graduation party and we were pretty excited to celebrate with both Daniella and Lourie's families!  We ate some amazing Haitian food and got to meet lots of their family members.  Oh and the Coke at Daniella's was delicious.  I'm still in shock that my little Daniella is old enough to have graduated from kindergarten.  I am so proud of this sweet and spunky little girl though, and I love that I was able to celebrate with her today!

Daniella receiving her diploma!

Oh. SO. Proud.  

Lourie looking adorable!

Lourie's graduation feast!!

Daniella looked beautiful in her graduation dress!

Davidson was pretty proud of his big sister, Daniella.
He also LOVED the graduation coke!!

One of the best parts of graduation--gifts!
I'm not sure how long this doll will last!

creativity!

I love when I get to capture moments that show just how creative some of my little friends are.  They constantly amaze me with what they create out of what most people would see as "trash." Recently I was in the village when one of the boys walked over with his "guitar."  He was so proud to show me how he put it all together.  He used everything from an old plastic bottle, string, boards, a piece of rope, and random nails he found.  It took him days to find the right pieces to make his guitar. He was determined and in the end all his hard work truly paid off.  He was pretty proud when I asked if I could take his picture with the guitar!