I'm baaack!

Well, my trip to California has come and gone! We made it back home last night with, still, no baby Coco! We were there a week, hoping everyday was the day....then the day came when it was time to leave. We thought about extending our trip for a few more days but believe it or not, there were no flights available on the days we'd need to come back, sooo we had to stick with our original plan. Tearfully, we left.....we left the kids there that we love so much and the one whom we still have yet to meet!

We had a great time anyway! I was so happy that I was able to make it to my sisters shower. I was able to see so many great friends that I haven't seen in over two years. It was a great time for a reunion. You know me! I've got pictures galore to share! And this is only a fraction of them. I took over 400 pictures just at the shower! I know, its way too many, but I love them all!

The home and decorations were beautiful. The theme was ladybugs with red and black everywhere. Those of you who know my sister, know that she is not a pink and blue person with pastels everywhere. So neither was her shower!

The hostess had these beautiful flower arrangements made that were stunning. Then there were little ladybugs tucked in the bouquet.

Here is my sister Kristi, with Bernadette, the lovely hostess who gave her this beautiful baby shower. I'm so thankful for this family who has really become family to my sister and her family after we all moved. It was a tough time for them and Bernadette's family took them in, including them in their family holiday get-togethers and summer barbeques. And for that I am so thankful!

Here I am with three generations of wonderful women, Bethany, Mary Jane and Bernadette. I love these girls!

The always fun Bethany, Kristi, Ashley and Shine

The decorations were beautiful....fresh flowers everywhere

...wonderful, decadent desserts and goodies

...a gorgeous dessert table
with the cutest little baby outfits hanging above...

I loved seeing this girl again! It's been two long years.....too long! I've missed her and enjoyed spending some time with her again.

Kristi getting some yummy food with my grandmother who is 85 and my Aunt Betty, who was visiting from out of town.

The food was amazing! There was a little of everything. Sandwiches, salads, fruit, shrimp, dips...yummy!

Here is my mom, Evelyn, with the hostess, Bernadette

Great friends, having a great time

Here is one of my absolutely dearest friends, Renee, with her beautiful granddaughter, Amelia. I loved seeing her again. She is such a special person to me.

Here is Doug, reading the book "Ladybug Girl" for a game that we were playing. He is brother to Bernadette, who hosted the shower. He is a riot and we love him! He is a party waiting to happen and probably the only man I know comfortable enough to be in a room of women at a baby shower! We love you Doug!

Here is Kristi with her absolute best friend, Lori. They have been friends since they were in their late teens, long before babies and husbands! I think they might have got into a lot of trouble together back then, but we'll just leave it at that! LOL {wink} Here I am with my beautiful niece, Samantha (or Shine as we call her)

My best friend and my sister

I snapped this shot while my sister was talking to someone because I couldn't believe how much she's dropped and how much her tummy has pooched out! I thought for sure she'd be having the baby that night....she looked like she was going to pop!

This was such a cute idea. Doug had brought a gift that was so beautifully wrapped and he used the invitation as the card! He wrote the nicest note on the inside. He's been trying to persuade Kristi to name the baby, "Dougalina".....we'll see Doug!

Our friend and photographer, Jocelyn, made this adorable crystal thing (for lack of a better term) to hang from the baby's cradle. It is so cute, I just love it. It screams BLING!A cradle fit for a princess!


And here I am with the amazing Jocelyn. She's the one who took Kristi's family and maternity pictures. Her work is amazing....you can see her blog here.

My sweet and always fun Aunt Betty, made these beautiful quilted blankets for the baby. These are all hand stiched and hand embroidered. Seriously! Pictures do not do this justice. It is absolutely beautiful. She has made these blankets for all of our babies who come into the family. I still have Ashley's that she made 21 years ago! Of course, it is a treasured keepsake. She is so amazingly talented at this. Her work is stunning!

Kristi with some other friends who are very dear to us....

Kristi and Holly....another two who might get into some trouble if left unattended! I couldn't show the "other" photo they made me take of them! Bethany, you might want to keep an eye on these two!

So, even though Baby Coco didn't show, it was a wonderful shower and we enjoyed seeing some old friends!

I also got to spend some great time with my kiddos that I love so much! I got to go along on Monday morning to take them to school. They eat breakfast at school so we went a little early to hang out with them. Of course, Kameron is way too cool to be seen with us on the school grounds! See him in the background behind me? We just stayed to ourselves and tried not to embarrass him! Brooklin on the other hand was so proud to have me with her. She went into her class and told her teacher, "Aunt Sheri is here today!" I was able to stay in her class for a bit and take some pictures. I loved it!

I was able to sneak one picture with Kameron before walking into the school....of course, I had only one shot to get it right!

So, I hope you enjoyed this unusually loooong post with probably way too many pictures but I had so much to share!

Thanks for looking and I hope to be back soon with some baby pictures! By the way, the baby's name is not really going to be Coco. That is a nickname that Brooklin gave her months ago and it's just stuck. She is going to have a beautiful name that we'll share when she arrives!

Have a great day!