Cora's Sprinkle

  This past Saturday I was blessed with a lovely shower (or "sprinkle") for our sweet Cora. I know second babies don't always get baby showers, but my generous friends wanted to help us get a little more pink in our house before our girl arrives. While it is definitely fun and such a blessing to receive gifts, the best part of showers is the feeling of being supported by people I love, and feeling that they are sharing in our joy. With that said, here are some of the pictures of the fun ...

Me with the sweet hostesses: Lynne, Amy, Lauren, Megan, Emily, Kassie, Rachel, Martha & Chanika

The pretty serving table

  In this day and age of Pinterest and all sorts of fantastic DIY/decorating/party-throwing ideas, I feel like a lot of posts about showers are focused on the details of the party. While I love great ideas as much as the next person, and the details of Cora's sprinkle were darling, it really is the people who make events special. I only got individual pics with a few of the ladies who were there, so I know I'm leaving some people out; but I wanted to take this chance to express gratitude to some of the gals in my life, and to God for putting them there. In this first one I am with my friends, Lauren (left) & Emily (right).

  I always call Emily my "oldest & dearest" friend, because she and I have been friends since I was 7. We were inseparable in elementary school & jr. high (before I moved away for high school), and then we were roommates our freshman year of college. We haven't always had the same social circles, so we don't necessarily get as much time together as I'd love for us to, but she will always be such a special friend in my life. She is also the one who designed the beautiful invitations to the shower that I posted here - if I had to designate any of my friends as a domestic goddess, it'd be Em. But in a really classy, talented, Martha Stewart way ... not like an anal-about-scrubbing-floor-boards kind of way. Lauren is married to one of Emily's younger brothers and for the past several years has lived just two streets over from us. Josh and I have been in community group with Alex and Lauren for the past 3 years, and it has been so exciting to share the journey of this pregnancy with them, as their first child (a little girl, as well) is due just 3 days before Cora! Lauren is a labor and delivery nurse at the nearby hospital, and was actually one of the nurses who helped deliver Liam. I love both of these girls dearly, and I'm so thankful for the way God has continued to allow my life to have this family woven into it.

  This is my sweet friend Rachel, who kindly hosted the shower in her home. Rach moved to our area a little over 3 years ago, and is the party planner of our group of friends. We were pregnant with our first kiddos at the same time - she was one trimester ahead of me. It was so fun to have a friend nearby to talk to about all the experiences and questions that come with a first pregnancy, and her Lilly and my Liam continue to be great little buddies.

Kristina is my good friend, to whom I dedicated a super long post, just a couple of weeks ago. At the beginning of the month I attended the baby shower for her second little one, who is due to arrive in just a few weeks. It meant so much to me that she drove two hours just to attend my shower ... four hours of driving really isn't what any woman who will be birthing a child within the month wants to do. I appreciate the sacrifice!

   I have known Martha since sometime in middle school or jr. high, because we grew up in the same church. However, she was a grade behind me and from a town about 20 minutes away ... in jr. high terms that means friendship is pretty unattainable. I always admired Martha from a distance and thought that I would love to be friends with her. Little did I know that one day our husbands would be on staff at a church together, and not only would she and I get to be friends, but we would get to be couple friends, and then even begin raising kids together. Martha is such a loving, joyful woman - she is a constant encouragement in my life.

  Amy and I have only known each other for a little over a year, but that's sort of hard to believe. It seems like she has been part of our group of friends for much longer than that. Her little boy, Bryson, is 8 months younger than Liam, and another one of his best friends. Her family lives just minutes from ours, and it has been so fun to share meals, pool time, and lots of playdates over the past year. She is another one of my preggo friends, with baby #2 due to arrive in October.

  I could go on and on about the hostesses I didn't mention, and the role they have played in my life, as well as everyone else who attended, but I fear that without pictures to keep your attention, anyone reading this would get very bored very quickly. Thanks, ladies, for such a great shower, but even more for your friendship!