Graduation Open House

Before the end of 2015, we hosted Rachael's graduation open house.  After many months of planning and shopping, it was so rewarding to see it finally come together!  Even though I had to work that day, since the open house was held at our church, I occasionally snuck down to the fellowship hall to see how things were progressing and snap a few pictures for memory's sake.

We were so humbled by our friend's love and generosity in seeking to help make this a special occasion for our family.  From a surprise floral arrangement to offers to contribute food to staying late to help us clean up, we were amazed with the kindness showered upon us and so grateful for the special people God has placed in our lives.

When Rachael arrived at the church that morning to prepare for the big party, she found a family friend in the kitchen arranging a beautiful center piece for the serving tables.  The rest of us had known about it for a couple of months but had been asked to keep it a surprise since she had wanted it to be her gift to Rachael.  It was gorgeous and matched the color scheme perfectly!

The idea behind the cascading-look of the arrangement was to represent God's overflowing blessing.  What a fitting message!

I had so much fun taking pictures of the flowers!

For the decorations, Rachael wanted something that portrayed her kid-like, fun personality, so we settled on lollipops, bright colors, and some of her favorite study food throughout her years of nursing school.  And believe me, the kids who came that night LOVED it all!

Rachael really did have some unique ideas that made this open house particularly enjoyable for our guests.  A surprise for the grandkids which she put on display that night was the newly-purchased Playmobile hospital. She literally spent hours putting it together.

Can you guess who this nurse resembles? :)

It was fun to see the grandkids reaction to this surprise when they showed up before the party began.  And now they get to look forward to playing with all of it at Grandpa and Grandma's house!

We also had the kids help us set up a puzzle which our guests could piece together throughout the evening.   The idea was a huge success!

Before the party:

After the party:

Rachael's display table also turned out looking so nice.  And, of course, Duck and Bird had to be part of it!

Before everyone arrived that evening, a friend offered to take a family picture to commemorate the event.  

Our menu that evening was sloppy joes, veggies and dip, chocolate covered pretzels, oranges, cheese and crackers, nachos and cheese, and cake.  

The highlight of the evening for us were all the friends who made an effort to come and celebrate God's work in Rachael's life.  It was truly amazing!

A few other family pictures:

What a memorable way to conclude Rachael's journey through nursing school!  We thank the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness to us.  His blessing does indeed make one rich.