Maya turned one the week we moved to Brasilia and were living in an Airbnb waiting on our moving truck to arrive.  Maya turned two the week we moved into our new home and were sleeping on mattresses on the floor with all our belongings in boxes.  This year, we were happy to have a free weekend with no major life changes so we could spend a day celebrating our special girl.

Maya's birthday fell on a Saturday which was perfect for inviting a few friends over for a day of play. After a rainy morning, we had a beautiful day to enjoy some backyard fun with three special families.  We rented an inflatable slide with a pool at the bottom, had a splash pool and trampoline for everyone to bounce, and went full-on American for a hamburger and hot dog lunch.  We went with a tropical bird theme (Maya LOVES birds) and it really was such a fun, relaxed day with our family and friends.

We love our Maya Jean dearly and she brings a lot of smiles and laughter.  She continues to be a people person, making friends everywhere she goes and really loving being out and about.  She loves school and I am thankful for how well she goes into her classroom both there and at church.  She is talking up a storm in her cute little mixture of English and Portuguese, has curls that do their own thing and are just so cute, is still a skinny-minny but growing tall, and loves to feel the rhythm of a good song.  Our chill, easy-going Maya seemed to leave us when she hit the two year mark, and while this past year has been full of its fair share of tantrums, she has assured me happy Maya is on her way back now that she is three, haha. Maya is definitely a mama's girl, but sure does enjoy being with her big siblings (as evidenced by how she sneaks into her sister's bed every night for snuggles), and always has lots of laughs with her daddy. It's wild that she is no longer in the baby phase and we're having the blessing of see all the ways she's learning and developing as a preschooler.

Maya's birthday survey was extra fun this year as she was able to give us a lot of the answers herself.

How old are you?

"3"

What makes you happy?

"Parabéns" (people singing happy birthday to her)

What makes you laugh?

"tickle"

What is something Mommy always says to you?

"Mayinha"

What is something Daddy always says to you?

"Maya" (haha, she's not wrong)

What is your favorite thing to eat?

"bolo" (cake)

What is your favorite thing to do?

"swing"

What are you really good at?

"consigo macaco" (she then proceeded to act out being a monkey)

What is your favorite song?

"Twinkle [Twinkle Little Star]" and "Jesus [Loves Me]"

Who is your best friend?

"Pepe" and "Olívia"

What do you and Mommy do together?

"kissing"

What do you and Daddy do together?

"go to school"

Where is your favorite place to go?

"with Brady" and "outside"

What is your favorite book?

"Bíblia" and "Tigre" (Hide and Seek Jungle Animals)