I'm a little late in getting this posted, but I wanted to share with you some pictures from Sabrina's surprise graduation party. I say "surprise" bc she didn't know we were going to make it into a celebration; she knew we were going to have a family barbeque, but she was unaware of the balloons and gifts she'd be receiving, which made it especially fun to pull off.
Sabrina chose not to have a traditional open house, instead opting for a small family gathering. Some of her peers were quick to point out that they thought this was a lousy idea, as an open house was a surefire way to get extra money for college. She reminded them that she wasn't from a large family (with lots of aunts and uncles), and didn't expect friends or neighbors to give monetary gifts… but it still bothered her that she may have made the wrong decision – if her peers were correct. After all, how was she supposed to pay for her textbooks? And what about parking permits and extra campus fees?
So we decided to make it as fun as possible for her, so she'd realize that she hadn't made a silly decision after all.
We started with my mom's famous orange punch… she gets quite a tongue-thrashing from family members if she tries to leave this off of any menu!
A tray of buttermints representing UNL, where she'll be attending this fall…
My dad helped with the decorating…
Little Miss Natalie was fairly punch-drunk by the end of the night…
This is the best potato salad ever. Ever, ever, ever. I can say that (even though I made it) bc I didn't make up the recipe. So that wouldn't really be bragging. đŸ™‚
Btw, we also had grilled chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, beans, and lots of other things…
Like cake. Ice cream cake, actually. And from the looks on these people's faces, you'd think it was a rare delicacy…
Sabrina's sweet friend Kate came to the party…
She brought Sabrina some very sweet gifts, like a new pair of painted shoes! (I don't have a picture of them, but they're wonderful!) And you've got to see this… look what else she created for Bean…
The photo on the left is one I took in Colorado, and Sabrina posted it to Facebook. Kate took that photo and sketched it onto a tote bag for Sabrina! Is that not the coolest thing ever? Kate, you are so talented!
Remember how Sabrina wasn't expecting any monetary gifts from anyone? Remember how I told you she doesn't have a large family? Well, unbeknownst to her, she suddenly had relatives coming out of the woodwork…
…and each of them had gifted her with cash.
You see, Bre and I gathered as many old, unused cards (okay, so they were all Christmas cards) as we could find, and I made a visit to the bank. We then piled the cards and money in the middle of the table and started writing congratulatory messages out to Sabrina from the likes of "Cousin Beuford" and "Aunt Hildegarde." And let's not forget loveable "Uncle Jack and Uncle Rooney." And my personal favorite, "Your favorite step-dad, Fran." (Bre, what on earth was that about, may I ask?)
Natalie was getting a little concerned that all of the dollar bills were for Sabrina, and not herself…
…And then she became downright annoyed.
So Sabrina gave her the job of money-holder…
Needless to say, Sabrina was very happy to discover so many new and generous relatives, as now the stress of paying for textbooks and parking permits was fairly covered. There were even some non-relatives that sent her a lovely card: "Sabrina, we've watched you grow into an interesting-looking young lady. Congratulations, Dr. Spenky and Associates."
I thought it was cute when she later exclaimed, "I get presents? Are you serious?"
Sophie got her a Pillow-Pet, which is something Bean had wanted for Christmas, but didn't get…
And here's my favorite photo of the night: she got a new Flip! video recorder, which made her a very happy girl…
(Btw, she also got that new Huskers tank from Victoria's Secret that she's wearing.)
It was such a fun night, and I'm so happy we were able to pull it off for Bean. Being the middle child, there isn't a whole lot that's just about her, so we wanted it to be wonderful. And speaking of wonderful, look what my sister and brother in-law gave to her:
A trip to Texas, to visit all the places printed on that sheet of paper! (Aud and Shaun, I can't thank you enough.)
The rest of the night was spent finishing off the punch, playing Apples-to-Apples, and being our loud, boisterous selves.
Oh – and bubbles! Mom always has a ready supply of bubbles on hand for our family barbeques…
And clearly, Natalie wasn't the only one punch-drunk.
18 Comments
Courtney
Congratulations Sabrina!
…is that potato salad recipe on the food blog somewhere? (hint!)
Courtney
marylin
Bravo Sabrina !
pour ces rĂ©ussites ! très jolies photos et de beaux souvenirs ….
bisous bisous
Judy
Congrats to Sabrina! That potato salad looks amazing! Better than any I’ve seen before. I do hope you will share the recipe.
Gabi
Congrats to Sabrina. It’s always great to have such a large supporting family. I heard that especially her favorite step dad (how many does that child have btw) was very generous.
The punch and the potato salad are looking great… are there any recipes around for those?
Cathryn
Wow! How wonderful! It looks as though you made it as special as Sabrina is. I Love the trip to TX. Please tell Sabrina to put her new video recorder to use in TX. We want to see! đŸ˜‰ Congratulations Sabrina! Well-done!!! Cathryn
Margaret
Congrats to Sabrina! Looks like a wonderful party with lots of fun! (I hope you post that potato salad recipe……)
Lynn
Congrats to Sabrina!! I had tried posting earlier on her grad post but didn’t have any luck.
What a fun party, especially with all the gifts from her “extended family”!
I’m with the others in wanting the recipe to that salad. It looks scrumptious!
Connie
Sabrina…. What a party! Crazy, yes, thoughtful yes, and should you ever doubt their love for you…just look back on this day and know..THEY LOVE YOU….even your step-dad Fran!!
Congrats on the graduation and best of luck in the future at UNL!!
Connie
Julie Forslev
Congratulations Sabrina!
I would love to see the recipe for the potato salad, but also the orange punch!! Pretty please?
joanntx
Congratulations , Sabrina!
oh, the places you were see….how was that trip to the Lone STar State?
and now off to college! what an exciting time!
your family party sounded more fun than any open house! those that are close and love you are the ones who count!
connie
Sabrina, Congratulations on your graduation. I think your party was the best idea ever. What an exciting time of your young life. So full of wonder of what is yet to come. I hope your Mom shares that yummy looking recipe for potato salad.
Sheryl
congrats Sabrina. Have fun at college. I love the christmas card idea with the funny names. I love your pictures also.
Pals,
Sheryl
Leslie
Congratulations, Sabrina! Looks like your family gave you a very special day!
Kelly
Congrats Sabrina!!!!!
I hope you enjoyed your surprise party. Looks like it was a ton of fun. Good luck in college!!!
Love the extended family cards……:)
Delania Watson
Can you post the recipe for the potato salad and punch? They look yummy.
Jennifer
Best wishes to Sabrina as she heads off to college! I love how loving and close your family is, and it’s one reason I love your blog so much! Congrats!!
Margaret
Congrats Sabrina…Im glad it was a great time for you
Sherry
Congrats to Sabrina. Will you post recipes of the punch and the potato salad?