Tidbits of Joy: Mom's 90th birthday bash

Mom's 90th birthday celebration exceeded all of my expectations!

Family...friends...smiles galore...from our nights of planning and preparation to the afternoon of celebration, it was just fabulous.

It took the family to bring it all together...

...making cookies was a blur of activity!

Kelley's internet find of using Ball mason jars and building our theme around "Having a Ball since 1922," proved to be "just right" for Mom...and lots of fun for us as we planned and prepared. Here Kelley is tying one on :)

prepping the night before...

Lisa is our cake and cookie "guru"

Shannon worked on flowers...and bows...

Scott also shed some "light" on our preparations...

Lydia & Avery provided some piano tunes to entertain us as we worked.

We even took time to watch the sun set, which is always an awesome sight from the parking lot at Old Capitol UMC.

Pre-prep time was ending and we were ready for the BIG EVENT!

the greeting table... the tablecloth finds by Kelley were "truly Mom"

the display table... pics of Mom, Doris, MomMom, MiMi, Kemp, Gram, Mother and Dip (yep, she's answered to them all)-- Dad's picture (he remains so vital in our family) -- The Message Glorious (Mom's story of God's faithfulness throughout her lifetime) -- poignant poem by Shannon 'Surrounded by Love' -- and "the plate"

"the plate" is part of our family lore and hangs on the wall over Mom's stove... Mom relates that she used to hate this plate and when our church (Corydon EUB way back then) had a rummage sale and auction, she gave this plate. Dad came home the next day saying, "I bought the neatest plate at the church's sale!"...and this was his "buy." Mom said she decided it was meant to be, so she hung it over the stove where it has remained through years and years.

the spread... Kimberly knows how to twist those napkins :)

the cookies... and they were even tasty despite all of that extra flour the kids used in "rolling them out"

the table centerpiece... and the popcorn didn't pop even with the artificial candlelight

AND the star attraction...

...bright and perky...and delighted that friends and family came to wish her a Happy Birthday

....and they did come!

the QUEEN's table

Ava & Aunt Shannon

Linda, Melody & Donna (Mom's new-found BSF friends), Mom and Sue

AnnaLee & Barb

Beulah & Wanda - 2 of Mom's prayer/share sisters

Logan...being shy following all the comments about his spiked hair...and brother Frank :)

friend Jane & brother Scott (he played Happy Birthday, Count Your Blessings & He Lives)

Joe, Reed & Elisha

Mom, Rev. Lyle Rasmussen & Scott (My! OH MY! this was a tearful reunion! Rev. Lyle was our pastor 1978-1983...he is such a dear friend to our family!)