Faith's Rockin' 23rd Birthday

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Faith began planning her 23rd birthday party about 3 months ago! Everyone sort of laughed at that time and tried to tell her she had a ways to go before her birthday. Now, just like that, it's over!  Faith's cake and some of the decorations  She really enjoyed the surprise birthday party we threw for a friend of ours last year at Pizza Ranch, so she decided that's where she wanted her party. When I asked her what she wanted for a theme, she totally surprised me by saying, "Bon Jovi!" (We listen to a lot of Bon Jovi in the van!)  I was all onboard with her Pizza Ranch plan, because that would make things pretty easy for me. I wouldn't have to worry about feeding everyone. The only drawback was that we could only get a room that accommodated about 25 people, so this year, we weren't able to invite the whole church and many others. (Faith has a lot of friends!)  The birthday girl!  On the other hand, it worked well to have somewhat of a smaller party as she h...
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Faith Is No Longer a Teenager

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Last week on the 25th, Faith celebrated her 20th birthday, which means she is no longer a teenager! That morning as we drove to her day program, she asked, "Mom how did I get to be 20 so fast?" In some ways, the time has crawled by, but in other ways, it has gone so incredibly fast. 

Faith turns 20! 
When it came to planning something for her birthday, she told me she didn't want a party. I knew though, that as soon as I didn't plan one, she would change her mind. And that's exactly what happened! A few days before her birthday she was asking me who is coming to her party. I was like, "What party?" 

I had decided to just have a small gathering at our apartment. I'm glad I didn't opt for a bigger one at a larger venue, mainly because of the weather. Up until last Wednesday, we had been having the most beautiful fall ever. The colorful leaves were still on the trees and the grass was still green. We had gone to the pumpkin patch on October 19th and it was 70 degrees!

Having fun at the pumpkin patch the week before! 

Faith makes a new friend.

Her dad came to visit her on the 21st and he had remarked what a beautiful drive it had been. But on Wednesday, fall had come to a sudden halt. The temperature dropped into the 40s and it began to rain. The next day, that rain turned to snow. We had squeaked in her birthday party just in time! 

Along with the party, she celebrated by taking her birthday balloons with her to her day program. Due to some of the dietary restrictions of some of her peers, she couldn't take cupcakes. Instead, she handed out glo-stick bracelets to some of her friends. She saved the cupcakes for her friends at therapy the next day. Some of her friends sent birthday greetings in the form of video messages and voicemails, which she loved! She also had a lovely visit over the phone with her grandparents in Canada.

Ready to party! 
Birthday cake! 

Thankful for the helpers! 

Fun with family! 

I'm so glad she had such a great day! 

She had a great time at her party, eating cake, singing songs, and having lots of laughs. One of my favorite parts was just sitting back and relaxing while one guest read her birthday cards, another helped her open presents, and another folded all the tissue paper and neatly put her presents in a pile. Faith had also designated a cake cutter, so I didn't have to do that either! 

I continue to be so grateful for those who blessed her with wonderful gifts like clothes, money, wall hangings, flowers, games, a squishmallow, and other fun things. I'm so glad her 20th birthday was such a success, not to mention safe from the winter weather! 

Getting ready for bed after a fun but exhausting day! 
We ended up with 8.5 inches of snow! 

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 30, 2023 at 10:37 AM

    Beautiful pictures - a lovely view of the special day and no longer a teenager!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ivy PJuly 15, 2024 at 10:16 AM

    Lovely post

    ReplyDelete

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