Armenian Dress

Let's take a trip. Let's go back in time for a minute or two. Let's go back to December 2010-- Brinley's First Birthday Party.
The night before the party I was waiting for my family to arrive, baking with my sister Tracy. The doorbell rang. I was in the middle of taking some pictures so I said "Tracy- grab that, would you? It's probably Mom and Dad." To which she replied "It's YOUR house... you answer it!"  "Uhhhh... ok". I opened the door (mind you it is probably around 10pm). I looked outside. I saw someone. "Who in the world is THIS?" I thought to myself. "OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!" I finally realized who it was. I had sent her an invitation to the party but never thought she would come.
It was my sister, Hasmik, from Armenia.You know- the little country south of Georgia. No- not Georgia the US state. Georgia the COUNTRY. Not familiar? Well... it's just west of Azerbaijan. Still not ringing a bell? It's east of Turkey, and north of Iraq, Iran, and northeast of Syria. Better? Ok.

It's ok- I had no idea either until this beautiful woman came to spend a year with my family-

   

Now we will rewind a little further.... back to my sophomore year of high school when my parents decided to take in an exchange student. We had had a couple before but they were only around for month or two. This time it would be a YEAR. I wasn't real sure that I would like it, but I went along with the idea. They said she was from Armenia. Yea. So we broke out the map and found that little country. Soon she arrived. Let's just say that the rest is history. Hasmik and I formed a very fun friendship throughout the time she was at our house. Hasmik and I caused quite a bit of trouble that year. We were a force to be reckoned with. We were little trouble-makers out having the time of our lives together. She is a very special woman in my life and I am so grateful to God for the opportunity to form such a tight relationship with someone from a distant land.

Jump forward to my porch that late December night. It was really her. Standing on my porch in Nebraska, USA. Hasmik Matsakyan. My long lost sister flew HOURS upon HOURS to come to Brinley's first birthday party. What a surprise, shock, jolt. I was stunned.

We hugged, laughed, joked, and I finally let her in the door. :-) What a joy to have her around for the weekend. I was so blessed to have her and so excited that Brinley got to meet her beautiful Aunt. (I will also mention that her brother's child was born the very day she left for Brinley's birthday party. She saw her new nephew at the hospital and left less than an hour later and headed straight to the airport. THAT'S sacrifice!)  Here are some photos from our visit with Hasmik-

Sisters

She awoke to Brinley crawling on her every morning. Precious!

Ok. Let's jump back to the present. Now all of that was just to explain why I was putting these next pictures up. My mother and grandmother have been nagging  pestering  badgering  bugging  hounding asking for pictures of Brinley in the Armenian dress that Hasmik brought for her. So here they are, ladies...

She was a little hard to photograph...

We love you Hasmik. Thank you for loving us. :-D

          -The Bakers