Mix 'n' Mingle & the Birthday Celebration

Our daughter Bethany was happy with her Silhouette items I created for her birthday--the trifold shutter card, the memory keeper box, and the Mix 'n' Mingle album (below). Photos in the slideshow are of both the front and the back sides of the album sections. She gets to write on some of the back sections for her birthday 2011 memories.



Shimmering butterflies on jeweled ribbons in yellow, green, and blue decorated the Christmas tree, plates, napkins, and party favors for Bethany's birthday celebration Sunday evening. We had lasagna, garlic bread, spring greens salad with dried tomatoes and chopped peppers, and her favorite lemon cupcakes for dessert.

Derek & Bethany before she made her 2011 wish ...

Big Reason to Smile ... Congrats to Bethany!

Bethany achieved her dream. She's now an RN and a DC! We're proud. We're thankful! We're relieved.

We partied. We enjoyed 60 plus family and friends during the weekend celebrations. We survived 6 full coolers, 2 graduation-themed cakes, 12 feet of Subway's braided sandwiches, 8 pounds of shrimp & crab, 16 pounds of pasta salad, tornado sirens and flash flood rains. And we have these Kudos leftover. Whose party is next?

The FINAL Final

A celebration is in order! Our DD Bethany took her FINAL final exam in graduate school, and is so glad to be finished with classes. We're all so happy for her, and so glad she's entering her professional life as a doctor of chiropractic with only one more semester of clinicals and then a Spring 2010 graduation.

I'm especially thankful she's willing to adjust me and keep my skeletal and muscular system fine tuned!

This is the "dream" card I sent to her. The Unforgettable papers match the Memory Keeper Box and Album I gave her last year for her birthday. Unforgettable is an appropriate theme for her last four years of hard work, patience, acquiring patients, and showing strong commitment to accomplishing her goal.

Here's Bethany at 19 months old, looking through my huge sunglasses--we had wonderful hopes and dreams for her then, as we continue to have. (Like that Clydesdale tee?!)

And here's Bethany now, a beautiful young woman with so much to give. She's an awesome daughter, sister, aunt to two cute little girls, granddaughter, niece, and wonderful friend to many. And so much more!

We pray God blesses her richly as she uses her RN and DC skills, shows her nurturing, caring self to others, and provides healing care to those in need.

Dr. Bethany!

Continue to DREAM.

Her thanks-filled mama,

The Birthday Tree Tradition

For nearly 25 years, we've had a tradition of keeping the Christmas tree up and its lights glowing to help celebrate Bethany's birthday in early January.

The Christmas ornaments get packed away and the birthday theme changes each year--sand and beach toys; Barbies, Kens, and Skippers; Scooby Doos; Smurfs; Strawberry Shortcake & friends; musical instruments; mini-volleyballs; car keys; plastic champagne glasses; Betty Boop; plastic skeletons (when DD began chiropractic college); and colorful paper parasols, just to name a few.

I love the bright lights in the darkness of mid-winter and really hate to pack it all away.

Any suggestions for DD's next January celebration?