The hostesses with the mostessesVickie (she and her husband Michael were the first couple we met at our church "The Rock" and took us under their wing, we love them!) Donna, who sold us our house, but also has become close friends with us. Donna said the first day we ever talked that she'd be throwing us a shower...she said "sometimes there are people destined to be parents. Kylie, you are one of them.") Joyce is Lee's boss's wife and owns Lee's company and we've been close with them since we lived in Arizona and began dating. Joyce volunteered to fly out and do this shower and the food! She is an extraordinary cook, and the smells that filled my house the 3 days she was there...well, can I tell you how hard it is to go back to lean cuisines and yogurt? YUM, she is the best! :) We feel so blessed she flew out to help with the shower! These three ladies had never met but clicked instantly and threw an amazingly wonderful shower!
Cake! Donna incorporated both baby girl AND a little heart/African flag.
The spread!
YUM!
Joyce in her element!
Mozzarella, tomato and avocado salad, yummy quinona salad and spinach artichoke and tomato bruschetta
The cake was Red Velvet and DELICIOUS!
Gifts...Kailee is the best helper!
BEAUTIFUL handmade blanket from Julie
Vickie's sweet card. She is making something special but needs to wait to finish till Baby Girl is born.
Vickie, me and Joyce
Love them!
My church gals. Nicki (who just had baby Lucy--our baby girl's future best friend) and Vickie
Wish I could crochet like this!
My dear Anne that worked with me at Aetna. Sweet Erin from church (her hubby is in Lee's Band of Brothers group) and Tracy (who I met through our adoption agency support group. She JUST got home with her new 4 kids from Ethiopia and this was her first night out without them!) :)
Joyce, Vickie (with Lucy) and Mary Beth (another DEAR friend from church. Her hubby and Lee are great friends too!)
April (darling friend I met in the local Utah Ethiopian adoption community. She is one of my dearest friends here, and we just experienced going to the airport and welcoming her husband, her and their two PRECIOUS children home from Ethiopia!), Julie (Lee's co-worker Karl's wife-they moved here from AZ to open the Utah branch too. My little helper Kailee belongs to Juile. :)
I love this picture because it truly expresses my surprise at this gift! When April and Nathan went to Ethiopia to meet their kiddos for court, they asked if we needed anything. Lee asked for coffee. In case you didn't know, Ethiopia is known for the BEST coffee in the world. Its rich and yummy. Lee tried it the night we went to dinner with them at the local Ethiopian restaurant here in town and loved it! Ethiopians cherish their coffee beans and treat them well. :) They have coffee ceremonies too for special occasions (like adoption!) Anyway, I am opening Lee's gift from April here. 4 packs of coffee straight from Ethiopia! :) Let me tell you how HOOKED he is on it! We plan to buy a suitcase full when we go. He never wants to drink anything else every again! We're trying to figure out how to keep ourselves always stocked with authentic ET coffee (FAIR TRADE of course! Beware of Starbucks...they have "AFRICA" coffee but it is NOT fair trade. See my previous post on different charities...Ok, getting off the soap box.) I'm not a coffee gal but this stuff smells AMAZING! :) YUMMMMMMM
Whew! Mama has to take a break!
April and I had discussed this doll and I wanted to get her this doll for her shower and didn't get it ordered in time. SO, she got it for ME at MY shower! :) I love April! She sooooo gets me and my heart for these orphan babes! I started tearing up at the shower when I opened this. :) Anyway, Rahel is a special collectors doll. Part of the proceeds from purchase go to supporting World Vision, a Christian organization that supports orphans in 3rd world countries. It comes with a matching bracelet for the doll and her "Mommy" and a story book all about Ethiopia and her life. It is amazing and is Baby Girl's first doll! :) I love it!!! it is SOOOO special!
We feel so blessed...God has really provided a family for us in Utah. Despite not wanting to come here at all :), we have developed close friendships and have been blessed by the amazing people in our lives.
Daisie and Joyceeeee
Daisie LOVED having Joyce here all day while we were at work.
Cake! Donna incorporated both baby girl AND a little heart/African flag.
The spread!
YUM!
Joyce in her element!
Mozzarella, tomato and avocado salad, yummy quinona salad and spinach artichoke and tomato bruschetta
The cake was Red Velvet and DELICIOUS!
Gifts...Kailee is the best helper!
BEAUTIFUL handmade blanket from Julie
Vickie's sweet card. She is making something special but needs to wait to finish till Baby Girl is born.
Vickie, me and Joyce
Love them!
My church gals. Nicki (who just had baby Lucy--our baby girl's future best friend) and Vickie
Wish I could crochet like this!
My dear Anne that worked with me at Aetna. Sweet Erin from church (her hubby is in Lee's Band of Brothers group) and Tracy (who I met through our adoption agency support group. She JUST got home with her new 4 kids from Ethiopia and this was her first night out without them!) :)
Joyce, Vickie (with Lucy) and Mary Beth (another DEAR friend from church. Her hubby and Lee are great friends too!)
April (darling friend I met in the local Utah Ethiopian adoption community. She is one of my dearest friends here, and we just experienced going to the airport and welcoming her husband, her and their two PRECIOUS children home from Ethiopia!), Julie (Lee's co-worker Karl's wife-they moved here from AZ to open the Utah branch too. My little helper Kailee belongs to Juile. :)
I love this picture because it truly expresses my surprise at this gift! When April and Nathan went to Ethiopia to meet their kiddos for court, they asked if we needed anything. Lee asked for coffee. In case you didn't know, Ethiopia is known for the BEST coffee in the world. Its rich and yummy. Lee tried it the night we went to dinner with them at the local Ethiopian restaurant here in town and loved it! Ethiopians cherish their coffee beans and treat them well. :) They have coffee ceremonies too for special occasions (like adoption!) Anyway, I am opening Lee's gift from April here. 4 packs of coffee straight from Ethiopia! :) Let me tell you how HOOKED he is on it! We plan to buy a suitcase full when we go. He never wants to drink anything else every again! We're trying to figure out how to keep ourselves always stocked with authentic ET coffee (FAIR TRADE of course! Beware of Starbucks...they have "AFRICA" coffee but it is NOT fair trade. See my previous post on different charities...Ok, getting off the soap box.) I'm not a coffee gal but this stuff smells AMAZING! :) YUMMMMMMM
Whew! Mama has to take a break!
April and I had discussed this doll and I wanted to get her this doll for her shower and didn't get it ordered in time. SO, she got it for ME at MY shower! :) I love April! She sooooo gets me and my heart for these orphan babes! I started tearing up at the shower when I opened this. :) Anyway, Rahel is a special collectors doll. Part of the proceeds from purchase go to supporting World Vision, a Christian organization that supports orphans in 3rd world countries. It comes with a matching bracelet for the doll and her "Mommy" and a story book all about Ethiopia and her life. It is amazing and is Baby Girl's first doll! :) I love it!!! it is SOOOO special!This shower was wonderful. As I sat in the room and looked around, I realized that God took us on a journey to Utah and without this journey we'd have never 1) progressed so far on our adoption, 2) gotten pregnant, and 3) met such wonderful people to support us through our big life changes. God knew my heart was broken to leave Colorado, but He led us to wonderful, Godly, family-oriented people who love us and made us feel right at home. I am blessed and would never have had it any other way. Each attendee explained how she knew me (tears again) and shared advice for us as parents and wrote it down in a book for us. It was SO special! Definitely one of my most favorite nights!
Thank you Vickie, Donna and Joyce. Words don't cover the gratitude we have for you!
And thank you Utah family....for loving us!
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