In September, the captains of the Salvation Army are having their first baby, Rebecca Joy, and we jumped at the chance to give them a baby shower. They serve so many of the most poor and needy in our town on a daily basis and with such compassion that it felt wonderful to give them a morning of hospitality in return.
It's been a long while since I've baby showered anyone. I looked around on Pinterest and nearly had a nervous breakdown from all the exceedingly cute projects. I didn't use a single one. Plain and simple, idea overload short circuits my creative batteries (what remains of them). Zap.
Since the captains are moving into a new home this week, I decided to do potted flowers in simple arrangements that they could take home and plant in their yard. I think they worked out just fine.
Madeleine laid out the pretty invitations using our favorite easy graphic design program and helped me with the cooking and meal planning. I also benefited from some last minute pinch-hitting from Auntie Anne and Costco.
The baked cheese grits were definitely the most popular thing on the table. Since I was unexpectedly running low on time, I took some shortcuts like upgrading store-bought brownies with homemade creme de menthe buttercream and mint leaves from our yard. Quick but yummy.
(Puppet break for the little guy. Hey, someone had to keep him from destroying the table arrangements!)
Baby food guessing contest. Had to do it.
Presents and games aside, my favorite part of the shower was getting to pray as a group for her sweet baby. It was a memorable moment that required no input or inspiration from Pinterest.
Congratulations, Captains Luci and Julio!
