As the old saying goes, birthdays only come once a year! One resident, Darcy, celebrated her birthday with her housemates.
![Gabriel Homes residents at Lake Thoreau.](https://www.gabrielhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-4-2.jpg)
What are birthdays like at Gabriel Homes?
Birthdays at Gabriel Homes are usually planned more than three weeks in advance to give residents the times of their lives on their special days. Residents share what types of parties they want to have. Similar to birthdays you’ve had, many parties are based on themes, and the staff work together to plan food and locations.
Darcy, a big fan of animals, had a birthday party centered around them. She and the group went to Lake Throreau and saw geese, ducks, mallards, and turtles. Darcy followed with some fun facts about mallards and geese.
Kari, Darcy’s roommate, said she liked seeing all the different birds.
![dl-birthday5 Gabriel Homes residents at Lake Thoreau.](https://www.gabrielhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Untitled-design-3-2-qohv2ot5gxq1flnjsr03vd858exd025kghd7qezhfs.jpg)
Everyone gathered to see and try to interact with the animals. Lucy, another resident, was a huge help in getting everyone involved with them. Darcy was hesitant about getting close to the animals, but she eventually enjoyed seeing the ducks swim toward her.
The party went home after the lake. Darcy put on her favorite music genre, country rock, and the house enjoyed some favorite snacks including popcorn, sparkling cider, and PB&J sandwiches. After eating, Darcy opened her presents. Gifts included a stuffed Olaf from the movie Frozen and Goodnight Mister Tom, a favorite movie from her childhood.
The night wrapped up with the house singing “Happy Birthday” to Darcy, and everyone cleaned up before winding down for the night.
![Naomi Pariona, program coordinator at Gabriel Homes.](https://www.gabrielhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/naomi-pariona-cropped-scaled.jpg)