When I think of Bailee, I think of Wildflowers. Not only because she took interest in them at a young age and has a hobby of collecting and identifying them, but because wildflowers are independent and unique. They are somewhat unexpected. They don't necessarily need others in order to grow or be maintained. They are strong and don't conform to mainstream. They are beautiful all on their own.
When planning her graduation dinner, it seemed natural to incorporate Wildflowers.
We were hoping to have our dinner out on the deck. Mother nature had other plans and although the snow had cleared out and the sun was shining, it was still a bit too chilly and breezy to make for pleasant outdoor dining. Bailee thought BBQ chicken sandwiches sounded good so that's what we did along with some sides.
People love when I ask them to look for a picture while they are eating.
After dinner we played a couple of games centered on the graduate ... of course. I had a picture of the first day of school from Kindergarten through her Senior year. They were all numbered and had to be put in the correct order.
There was some deep concentration going on. I can't remember who did the best (other than Bay), but I know that her dad and grandpa were a close tie for last place;)
We also did a little Graduate Mind Reading. Everyone was given a list of paired things ( You had to choose which of the two the graduate would pick. Bailee had filled hers out before the game for us to check against. There were a few that caused a minor riot because people were sure they were right even though it was contrary to Bay's choice. It was fun to see how well (or little) they knew her;) Kars smoked everyone! Spending more time together this year came in handy ... Karsyn being naturally observant helps too.
It was a low key evening ... just like Bailee.
I had a cake made for her special day by a local gal who has a little bakery business. Bailee's favorite is Strawberry Shortcake so I had Smuthery make a version of that. It didn't look much like Strawberry Shortcake since I wanted something that was "Wildflower like", but it did have cream and strawberry filling (albeit a little light)
Bailee received lots of cards and gifts from family and friends and was feeling the love with all the support from a distance.
She felt the love from this little girl who made her a card and used her own $$ to buy her sister a bath bomb.
Hats off to our girl as she continues to bravely grow wild and free in a world plagued by conformity.
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