By Jenni McKnight
Michelle Obama and her husband, Barack, had plenty to celebrate on Friday, as not only was it the Fourth of July, but it was also their daughter, Malia’s 27th birthday.
The couple marked their eldest child’s birthday with their own tributes on Instagram, but they both shared the same photo of themselves with Malia.
Reason to celebrate
In the picture, which was taken from the roof of the White House on July 4, 2014, the threesome’s outlines can be seen as they sit and watch a spectacular fireworks display lighting up the night sky.
“Happy birthday to my darling, Malia! You’ve grown into such a smart, strong, and beautiful young woman, and I’m so proud of the way you show up in the world. Keep shining bright, my love,” Michelle captioned the heartwarming photo.
On his post, Barack penned: “Happy birthday, Malia! Thanks for always lighting up our world. So proud of you.”
Michelle’s fans were very vocal about the occasion, with many agreeing they would much rather celebrate Malia’s birthday than the Fourth of July.
One commented: “That’s what I choose to celebrate… your beautiful daughter’s birthday… not this [expletive] show we live in.”
A second said: “Thank you for giving us reasons to celebrate today.” A third added: “The only 4th of July I acknowledge. #MaliaObamaDay.”
Malia’s birthday comes almost one month after the family celebrated Sasha’s 24th birthday on June 10.
Both Barack and Michelle took to Instagram with the same photo, a relatively recent, previously unseen snap of the family-of-four seemingly on a tropical vacation.
In the snap, the sisters look so grown up posing beside their parents, with Sasha nearly as tall as her 6’2 dad, dressed in a beige tube top and a chocolate brown maxi skirt.
“Happy birthday to my sweet girl, Sasha! Can’t believe how quickly time has flown. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. Love you always!” Michelle gushed in her caption.
Barack wrote: “Happy birthday, Sasha! Watching you grow into the incredible woman you are has been a true gift. I’ll always be proud of you and will always be here for you.”
It is reported that Sasha is currently pursuing higher education after previously graduating from the University of Southern California, and is currently based in Los Angeles, where she lives with her older sister.
Malia is a filmmaker and writer, debuting her own short film at the Sundance Film Festival last year, and she created an ad for Nike earlier this year.
Their move to LA received the tick of approval from their parents, with Michelle previously telling People: “You try not to react too much because it’s like, you don’t want to go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you!’ because then they think, ‘Well, maybe this is not a good thing if my mom likes it.’
“So I just said, ‘Okay, well that’s interesting that you guys are going to try living together. We’ll see how it goes,'” she added.
“But yeah, it feels good to know that the two girls you raised find solace at a kitchen table with one another. It’s like the one thing you want for them.”