A Perfect Day in May ~ Leslie's Baby Shower

My daughter's baby shower was this past weekend. It was a lovely day. Just lovely. However, instead of telling you about it, I'm going to let these pictures paint you several thousand words. I'll narrate as required.  I hope you enjoy peeking in. Unless indicated otherwise, these exquisite pictures were taken by Megan. You can find out more about her services at Megan Ella Photography.

First, we have the planner - Kayla Brumley.

Kayla worked like a pack mule, making everything perfect. Many thanks to her.

Fruit water in Mason jars with purple and green straws got the party started.

Being a morning shower, the food had a brunch feel.

Bagels, cream cheeses, fruit.

Cupcakes followed.

Yum.

As guests arrived, they were asked to write personal wishes for Audrey.

Precious memories for later times.

The guest of honor looked radiant when she walked in.

The bump was very prevalent.

Lots of hugging going on.

A family pose was struck. I was happy Big Sister and my dear nieces were there.

(Twin sister and my mom couldn't attend.)

My friend Ann took this picture while we posed for another one. I love it.

 Next, it was gift-opening time. Yay!

The mother-to-be was a delight to watch, discovering adorable things between the tissue.

And then ...

... a gift was handed to Nonni.

It was from the mother-to-be, and it made Nonni cry. 

Once the presents were all opened and thank yous all done,

we gathered around "Audrey's mom" and said cheese.

I wish I could tell you that Nonni is calm, cool and collected, knowing her baby is having a baby within a few weeks, but that wouldn't be true. She occasionally has anxious moments and restless nights, worrying about things she can't control.

However, despite her motherly apprehensions, she prays for her daughter every day, and she knows that Audrey Emeline will have a mother who loves her and a grandmother who thinks she hung the moon. Indeed, not every child is so blessed. ♦

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I'm Expecting...A Grandchild

A few of my close friends already know, but to those of you who don't, if all goes as scheduled, I'm going to be a grandmother in June. Yay! It didn't happen exactly as I had planned, complete with a son-in-law and all. But life doesn't always go as we plan, and children don't always travel down roads of our choosing.

Last spring, Leslie told me that she was giving up the dating scene and taking steps toward being a single mother via AI (artificial insemination) and donor sperm. In essence, she was tired of dating frogs, and although marriage might not be in her future as she had hoped, she did want to be a mother.

To say that it was difficult for me to process that information doesn't begin to tell the story. I couldn't imagine my child raising a child alone, nor my grandchild being raised without ever meeting her father—and I still can't—but it was her choice to make, and she had made it.

The journey to motherhood hasn't been easy for Leslie. Unexpected obstacles presented themselves along the way, and she has had one emergency surgery. But all seems well now, and I am truly grateful. We heard the heartbeat in October, and it was a moment I'll never forget. We hope to find out the gender in a few days, and I'm truly excited about that. :-)

I hope you will say a prayer for a healthy mother and a healthy grandchild, and please pray that Grandma-to-be will leave her worries with God and live her life one day at a time. ♦