Happy birthday, Bonnie!

It's a special day today--Bonnie's birthday--and therefore time for another blog post/note to mark the occasion. Whenever I do these posts, going through old pictures, I find a million that I want to post (well, not a million, but a lot). I know I can't post them all, so here are 10 or 12 specially selected shots from her past.

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Here's one of the earliest ones--her passport picture. Born in Spain, she needed a passport to get into the United States.

 Here's a very early shot in Mifflin Township with Grandma and Grandpa Switzer. Note on the back says "1st grandchild--Bonnie S. Switzer"

 Here I am with Bonnie. Kathy's note on the picture says "Bonnie and Daddy (see Bon's haircut?). April '75.

 Bonnie with Kevin Bell--Gaeta, October '78.

 Then-Vice President George H.W. Bush stops in for Bonnie's birthday party (no, actually we were at his birthday party at the home of the U.S. ambassador to Canada).

 Not exactly sure where or when this was taken, but I liked it. Do you remember, Bon?

 At the Pearl Street house with Rory.

 

Here we are with Bonnie and Rory at their wedding at Faith Bible Chapel, Arvada.

Love this shot of Bonnie and Rory. 

Jono and Alia, our first two grandchildren. We are so proud of these guys and how Bonnie and Rory are raising them.

This is Bonnie's office (not to mention her cat). Her current position is at Goodlife Community Centre in Buderim, Queensland, Australia, where she takes care of many administrative tasks, including editing a quarterly glossy magazine.

 Some time ago, Bonnie began exercising her creative talents painting favorite quotes. This is one that I treasure and have hanging on the wall of my office.

 Eventually this led to her starting her own Etsy shop online. Her paintings are very beautiful and quite popular.

We celebrate you today, Bon. We rejoice with you as we remember the day of your birth with great joy. We are very proud of you and all that you are involved in, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Happy Birthday, Bonnie! 

I start this birthday greeting with a picture of you and Grandma. She was a great communicator, and you have certainly inherited that gene. Painting, drawing, writing letters, email, social media—you keep in touch with family and friends around the world.

 That is such a commendable thing to do, and we so appreciate hearing what is happening in your life and watching the children grow up and live their lives. I love that you not only created these "Quote Cards" but that you sent them all out to people of whom they made you think.  They are very imaginative.

Now for a little nostalgia. The back of this one indicates you are just past your first birthday, so we were still in Rota.

Second birthday. Three little girls with birthdays within one week of one another. Puerto House.

With Mom, all dressed up for your second birthday party. 

Puerto de Santa Maria. 

Three years old. Chipiona. Birthday with the YWAM/Dilaram community. 

 Of course, that beautiful house with its marvelous tile is gone now, replaced by apartments, from what we've been told. Here's a shot on the front steps right before we were transferred to Gaeta.

It was such fun surprising you last year for your birthday. 

Kudos to Rory for a wonderful plan.

 And of course, the party he threw was nonpareil. 

So glad we could be there.

I'll finish with a couple of fun ones. There were so many people in your life who blessed you in so many ways, and Uncle Bob was/is certainly one of them. I love this picture. He looks so peaceful, and you look a bit mischievous.

 I came across this picture in my searches today. Of course, it is you modeling the hole in your windshield and kidding me about my penchant for using gray tape on everything. 

We celebrate you today and every day and wish you all the best in this new year of life.

Happy birthday, Bonnie!

Seems like yesterday, a world away, in sunny, southern Spain. Our world was forever brightened when Bonnie burst upon the scene. Here we are, many years later, away down under, at the Antipodes, on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Happy birthday, Bon. We are happy to be able to celebrate with you, in person. 

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Many years ago in a land far, far away, a beautiful baby girl was born to two happy parents.

These two pictures were taken in our first apartment in Rota, Cadiz, Spain.

(What the picture on the left needs is a huge tapestry of peacocks! Oh, wait a minute.)

What the Internet needs most is another cute kid/cute puppy picture. Here's Bonnie with our neighbor's pup.

After a while, she moved to Italy and had a few tea parties and ate lotsa pasta.

At Fort Meade, Maryland, she encountered some huge sunflowers. (I'm sure there's more to this story.)

In Canada, she had many adventures, swam on a world-class swim team, went to a Canadian school, and even learned some French (none of which are pictured here).

In Japan, Bonnie graduated from high school, met her (then) future husband, learned a little Japanese, grew to love sushi, and many other things, but this picture shows her leaving from Tokyo-Narita Airport.

In addition to living in Spain, Italy, Canada, and Japan, Bonnie went to India to see her sister graduate from an international school in the Himalayas.

She now lives in Australia with her husband and two children (not pictured, but one of them took this picture).

 Some say she looks like me, as seen in the picture below (you can see it in the eyes).

Bottom Line:
We love you, Bon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Above: Spain. Three little girls with birthdays in April.

Chipiona. Bonnie's 3rd birthday.

Maryland. Bonnie's 7th birthday.

Spain. Bonnie's 11th Birthday.

12th. Spain.

Idaho Springs. Indian Springs Resort. Birthday at the Hot Springs.

Japan. Capt. B's Retirement.