Fully Showered

Our friends and family have more than showered us with baby gifts; they've absolutely poured their love and celebrations upon us!  We have been so humbled and felt so honored by the thoughtfulness that has gone into the planning of each occasion.

  

A Girls' Weekend Double-Shower

This was my first official "baby shower," and I was delighted to share it with my good friend Elizabeth, whose due date was only 6 weeks before mine.  Our annual girls weekend is something I look forward to each year as a chance to get away with some of my best girlfriends from college, especially since we are now spread across the country. This year's celebration commenced in Ft. Worth, Texas. Our friend Amy graciously hosted us in her beautiful home, and we spent the weekend pampering with mani/pedis and our first experience getting our hair done at a "blow dry bar." We finished off the weekend at Morgan's family's house for a Baby Shower Brunch. Morgan and her mother hosted a proper Southern brunch, complete with quiche, fresh fruit, and petit fours.  My mother, sister, and mother-in-law were able to make the drive down from Oklahoma to join the celebration! It was a perfect weekend with some of my favorite women!  *Disclaimer: Matching shower outfits totally unplanned!*

Coworker Couples Cookout Shower

Back in North Carolina, JJ and I attended our first couples baby shower in honor of both our baby girl and JJ's boss's baby boy; however, the baby boy was born on the day of the shower!  The Young family so graciously hosted this cookout at their adorable house, and other friends pitched in to help provide the creative animal themed decor and delicious burgers, hotdogs, and assorted side dishes (along with homemade cupcakes and brownies).  It was a beautiful evening, and we had lots of help opening gifts from our friends' children.  

Pharmacy Dinner Party

My coworkers helped me celebrate at one of our favorite Winston-Salem restaurants, The Old Fourth Street Filling Station.  I enjoyed a delicious Southern meal of shrimp and grits, followed by pink lemonade cake from a local favorite Dewey's Bakery.  It was a relaxing evening that doubled as a baby shower + farewell dinner, since I would be moving back to Oklahoma in only a few weeks.  Somehow, I failed to take a single picture with this group of ladies!       

432 Sunday School Shower

Our Sunday School class, named 432 is based off the verse Acts 4:32, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had."  This is certainly true of this group of believers who are like family to us.  The group of women who attended this shower not only blessed me with new baby gifts, but they also passed along some of their own children's favorite toys and clothes.  My dear friend Kristie hosted this shower in her lovely home, and she perfectly carried out an elephant theme to coordinate with our nursery decor.  She even had party favors of gourmet popcorn for guests, with the cartons labeled, "About to Pop!"  My mother was in town to help us prepare for the move, and I was so happy to introduce her to this incredible group of women!  

The Landing Surprise Shower
Our typical Thursday evenings in Winston-Salem were spent serving at The Landing, a component of Celebrate Recovery ministry.  Through this ministry, we not only met some incredible kids but also were able to serve alongside some of the most selfless volunteers who served us dinner each week.  They surprised us with a baby shower one Thursday evening at the end of our Landing class.  The kids were excited to be a part of our celebration, and the volunteer ladies blessed us with assorted homemade desserts and baby gifts! Did I mention these women know how to cook?! Yum.

A Family Affair
After we arrived in Oklahoma, JJ's family threw us a final baby shower just a few weeks before our due date.  JJ's mom, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents gathered at Mammo and Pappo's house for a family style cookout.  There was an abundance of good food and laughter, especially as Pappo kept everyone entertained with his humorous commentary!  We hope our newly married and engaged cousins' significant others weren't too deterred by the sharing of embarrassing childhood stories and old photographs that inevitably surface at these family functions!  The homemade yellow and gray decor by my mother-in-law and Aunt Phyllis included a watermelon baby carriage/fruit bowl, a baby bunting banner, table centerpieces, and a beautiful cake.  We are so thankful to live near our families once again!