Thursday, July 28, 2011

Surprise!

Surprise birthday parties have always been a personal favorite.  But a surprise baby shower?  That was a new experience! 

Last Wednesday I was told by the dentist office where I work that we would be closing for the afternoon due to an "oral surgeon wanting to take our office to lunch."  And since my husband had asked me to come visit him for a couple of nights while he was on a work trip in Indianapolis, I thought I might skip out on the "oral surgeon's lunch" and drive up to Indy to see Paul for a few nights.  So when I asked the dentists (who are notoriously flexible and gracious in allowing me any day off that I ask for) for their permission to let me leave, they strangely acted hesitant.  Little did I know that when I walked away they hurriedly sent my husband a text message, begging him to keep me in Louisville, as they had actually planned a surpise baby shower at a very nice local Italian restaurant, Martini's.  What clever tricksters they are! :)

The team effort was certainly successful, and I was so surprised!  We ate excellent food together, enjoyed some tasty cake (thanks, Kelly!), appreciated time to visit outside of our work environment, and opened presents.  Our children were genuinely celebrated. 

At the end of the shower, the dentists stood up to recite a 12-stanza poem that they wrote together.  It was a tear jerker for the entire table, and the last few stanzas are worth sharing, revealing the sincere compassion that the dentists share for our little ones:

"Sarah and her husband so deeply felt
That God had His hand on the cards they were dealt.
So they went on their way to conceive one of their own
But also realized numerous babies need homes.

Adoption papers were being filled out
And is often the case, mother nature wins out.
You find that you're pregnant and what do you do?
You lovingly prepare for Baby #2.

Luke will know and love how he was created,
And our new rescued baby will be glad that he waited.
The children will hear, both day in and night
How special they're loved, with all of their might."

We pray so, Dr. R and Dr. T!  Thank you so much for loving our family!

Here are the few pictures that were taken from the shower before my camera ran out of batteries:


Yuummm!  Would you believe that I brought home about 2/3 of this cake, and by the time Paul came home from his trip, there were only 2 pieces left?





We've worked side by side for over 3 years.  I'll really miss my friend, Kathy!


Gotta love Shawn and Shari! 


Here's Shari, Kelly, and me.  I will miss Shari's sweet spirit and Kelly's positive attitude/helpful mommy advice!



Pam has supplied our dogs with used tennis balls since I've worked with her.  The dogs and I will both miss Pam very much!  And Betty is one of the hardest workers I know.  Such a great influence!



A precious snuggle blanket for the little ones . . .


And one of many cute outfits that our little ones received.  Thanks to these co-workers, our kids will not only look cute, but they'll be dressing pretty fashionably, too!


Thanks, Kathy and Kelly!  Kathy knew all of my favorite items on our registry- like this newborn sleeper! 


Thank you for a wonderful 3 years during which going to work was never dreadful.  I love all of you!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Grateful and Undeserving!



Paul and I are incredibly blessed to have such loving, enjoyable, and uplifting family and friends.  Last weekend some sweet family and friends from the good ole Western Kentucky University years and from seminary got together to celebrate God's work in our growing family!  It was a very encouraging shower that consisted of good food, games (of course, Mrs. S!), prayer, and a time of sharing words of wisdom about either meaningful traditions that the girls had growing up or pieces of advice that they had to offer. 

 Here is some of the advice that was shared:

- "Iron, change diapers, and wash clothes to the glory of God."

-"You only have children in your home for 18 years, but you are married for your entire life.  Prioritize your husband."

- "Read books with your children on a regular basis."

-"Verbally encourage your children.  Tell your son how handsome he is, and tell your daughter how beautiful she is.  Your words mean so much to them."

-"Don't take yourself too seriously.  Keep a good sense of humor, especially during the first few months."

-"Don't spend your time wishing for the next step of the baby's life.  Each season goes by before your eyes, so cherish the present."

"Consistently dwell on the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).  When you start to lose your temper, just stop and think on these things."


And here are some pictures of the occasion:

My awesome sisters-in-law and my wonderful mother-in-law, Mary, came to Louisville for this!  It was such a treat to spend the weekend with them.  I really love these girls!


One of my best friends from college, Megan, came to celebrate!  She is a great example of a godly wife/mom, and she is apparently a crafty seamstress, as she supplied some awfully cute handmade burp cloths (they're much cuter than the blue hospital towels that we were planning on using, Megster!)


From being my friends' mom to now a mentor/friend, Mrs. Schreiner was kind to host this shower at her home.  Paul and I are deeply indebted to this couple for their godly influence in our lives/marriage! 



We have grown up in Germantown, TN together; our families are great friends; and by God's kind providence we ended up in Louisville together!  Kolby was so sweet to come share in our joy!

And I have to show off these adorable sock monkeys that my talented sister-in-law, Kathleen, made!  Not only did she make the actual stuffed animals, but she also supplied a wardrobe of outfits for these guys.   Our little ones are going to love this little lion and monkey. 


Some dear, dear friends from college.  I've been blessed to live with each of these girls, and I'll always be thankful for the memories I made with them!  And for any WKU folks who may be seeing these pics, no, that's not Mary Ellen's child (ha!).  It's Kathleen's little girl, Norah.  So precious! 


Thanks for an unforgettable day!  I love you all!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Kenwood Baptist Bake Sale

Back on Father's Day, our church hosted a bake sale to help us meet the $3,000 matching grant that LifeSong has kindly offered to us. We were humbled by the fact that our church reached out in such an intentional manner, and by their sacrificial giving, $1,500 was raised to go towards this grant! We praise God for using our church to help bring our child home!

Here are some pictures of this unforgettable event, and we can't wait to show our little one how much we all anticipated this child's homecoming!


Kenwood Baptist Church Bake Sale - Slideshow Creator


Thank you, Kenwood!  We love you all!