28w6d: Happier Things

Wow, okay, so that was depressing. I'm really a very optimistic, cheerful person. It's not in my nature to be so down. It's hard for David when I'm sad because not much gets me down, so he doesn't have a lot of experience cheering me up. :)

So anyway, let's rewind a month to my shower in Pennsylvania. My MIL, SIL, and cousin did a great job. My best friend (she was my maid of honor; I was her matron of honor--she's the bride from the Little Bear story) is a pastry chef and she did the cake. If you live in eastern Pennsylvania and want her contact information, let me know!

Here's FIL putting up the signs to help people find their way.

The shower was at the church where I grew up and where my parents were married and where I was baptized, confirmed, and married. It's also where my mom was buried. The chairs in the room where we had it were bought with the donations given after my mom passed, and I felt like that was a nice little way to have her memory there.

I got a lot of nice gifts! People were really, really generous. And amazingly, everything that was given at the shower fit into my two suitcases! People shipped the bigger items to us in California (more on that later) and just included pictures with the cards.

Here's the cake--the bottom layer was chocolate with peanut butter icing, and the top layer was red velvet with cream cheese frosting. It was TO DIE for. Her sugar cookie recipe is also the best I think I've ever had. The cookies were shaped like little onesies, and she had sheep, lady bugs, turtles, and duckies decorating them. So adorable (and delicious!).

Here's the fondant topper. It matched the image from the invitations, and we're letting it dry out for a couple months--and then it can be shellack'ed and used as a decoration. I think the detail is incredible!

My dad has a great time at the shower too. He is so excited to become a grandpa! He really enjoyed seeing everyone and catching up with some of the ladies that he hadn't seen in awhile. As much fun as I had, it was a slightly bittersweet day for me because I know how much my mom would have loved being there and what a great job with planning she would have done. But I know she's watching over us, and my babies have the best guardian angel possible!