Welcoming Baby Joy

I’m going to be an Auntie! I’m so excited! One of my dearest friends, Alyssa, is having a baby! She and her husband, James, are expecting their little bundle of (literal) Joy towards the end of August. As soon as I found out she was in the family way, I knew I wanted to throw her a shower with all the women who have watched her grow up. Alyssa is a wonderful, godly, gracious, talented, sweet, and funny woman, and it has been my privilege to not only have her friendship all these years, but to watch her relationship with James from Day 1. I’ve said it for years; when I grow up, I want to be Alyssa!
For Lyss’ shower, I wanted something very low-key, where she could relax, put her feet up, and let us bless her. Because they’re expecting a sweet bundle of baby girl, I also wanted to do something that was both vintage and very feminine. I’m so excited at how the shower turned out! I asked everyone to bring an old baby photo of themselves or their kids so that we could surround ourselves with wonderful memories. There was a book station where we could make a journal page for Lyss, James, and Joy to remember this time in their lives. We even had all the trappings to customize burp cloths and diapers to make the not-so-fun parts of parenting a little less not-so-fun. Lunch was an array of finger foods like BBQ pork sliders, antipasto skewers, arancini balls, salad, fruit, and a cheese platter, with Italian Sodas in the cooler, and Honey Lavender cupcakes for dessert. All in all, we had a wonderful day. We got the opportunity to bless the most adorable pregnant girl I’ve ever seen, pray for Joy, and enjoy a beautiful (albeit a bit warm) Summer Saturday.
Precious Joy, I cannot wait to meet you! I should warn you: I’m a cuddler, especially of cute babies. And with your mommy and daddy, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re going to be the queen of cuteness!
UPDATE: I told you she’d be cute!!