Birthday Cards, how do you scrap them?

The amount me and my children have received over the years is becoming a bit overwhelming. I know I don't need to keep all of them, but it seems a tiny bit sacrilegious to cut them up or throw them away. Especially, the ones from people that have passed.

I was thinking of possibly cutting off the front covers? Cutting out special messages or signatures? Maybe scan the front covers, have them printed at a smaller size and keep the messages?  Right now, I have a birthday album with my three kids. I try to take at least one photo on their birthday and they always get cards from grandparents, sometimes from me. I've just been throwing them in a page protector. I write on the back of the card the year and their age.

Any and all recommendations would be great.

ETA: I don't think any of them have been handmade if that matters.