All-in-one Couples Gender Reveal Farewell Baby Shower!

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner: Show Us Your Life - Baby Showers! 


This was a baby shower/gender reveal/farewell party for our dear, sweet friends Matt and Jamie before they moved to Amsterdam. It was also a couples party!


We had a cute little clothesline for a onesie game. Each guest or couple brought a onesie that showed an item that held special meaning of something they had shared with Matt and Jamie. Matt and Jamie had fun guessing who brought each onesie. If they guessed correctly that guest received a Dutch treat as a prize! 

There was also an Ice Ice, Baby game! Whoever melted their ice cube first had to yell, "My water just broke"!!! They could melt it any way except by putting it into their mouth!

NO ONE at the party knew the gender of the baby until Matt and Jamie cut into the cake! To accomplish this, Jamie had the ultrasound tech write the result on a notecard and seal it in an envelope. Jamie gave it to me and I gave it to the baker!


Before.....

After.....

YAY! It's a GIRL!!! Anna Marie will arrive in November!


Matt's mom, Vicki, was just a little thrilled! Watch her reaction......

That was the BEST!

We chose turquoise and orange for the color scheme. Orange is the national color of the Netherlands. Here is a peek at some of the decorations.


We had a "money tree" since it would be difficult to take heavy or large gifts all the way to Amsterdam. Jamie's sister, Jen, bought small envelopes and we attached them to the "tree" with ribbons. The sticks came from my backyard.

Jen brought authentic wooden Dutch shoes that belonged to their mother. The guest book/scrap book was also made by Jen. We took pictures of each person or couple and they wrote a note to Matt and Jamie on their own page. After the party we added the pictures to the book.  

Vicki made these cute and delicious cookies.

Jen found Dutch postcards and we used them for decorations throughout the house. I had the wire stroller from when Mattie was born and filled it with mini orange roses. 

This antique stroller belonged to my mother-in-law. We thought it looked European and filled it with orange tulips and placed it on the porch.

More cookies made by Vicki! The hurricane lanterns were filled with dry beans and an orange taper candle.

The backyard with orange and turquoise lanterns hung by Jen's husband, Craig! They had tiny battery operated bulbs in them and looked amazing at night!

Favor basket with rolls of Dutch mints along with cards with Matt and Jamie's new contact information. 

 The money tree filled up!

Jamie's talented sister, Jen, that I have spoken of! 

It was a perfect way to send Matt and Jamie off to their new home in Amsterdam! We miss them so much but we're excited about their adventure and upcoming parenthood! They have been such precious, encouraging friends and neighbors to us over the past five years. 

Proverbs 17:17a (NIV) A friend loves at all times.....

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

My Favorite Things - Secretary Full of Pretties

This secretary is full of some of my favorite treasures. There are lots of family pictures, tea pots, tea cups, and pretties that make me smile every time I see them.

Some are old, some are new, some are chipped with character, and they all bring good feelings to me. They are not just tchotchkes on a shelf collecting dust! 

Many were given to me by dear friends over the years. 

This little rose bud vase is my absolute favorite. It was my mother's when she was first married and I adore it!

A sweet friend hand painted this antique tea set for Mattie before she was born. 

And another long-time friend gave me this little silver tea set....that is in dire need of polishing! Maybe she could visit and take care of that for me? :-)

There are wedding pictures, baby dedication pictures, and first portraits of our babies. 

Little mother-daughter books are stacked throughout the cabinet.

These are miniature pictures of my parents before I was born and pictures of me and my husband when we were tots.

I have always loved this picture of my parents. One of my brothers took it in the 60s. 

I love looking through old pictures and seeing how my mother had her houses decorated. Many of the items have been broken over the years due to four children and eleven grandchildren! I hope my girls will enjoy seeing some of the things that decorated their childhood home.

Even though I cherish all these "things" I must remember this very important scripture:


Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Easter 2011

Easter festivities started on Wednesday with an Easter egg hunt at Mattie's preschool.

Target had the cutest eggs ever!

The girls' Easter baskets. We do this the day before to cut down on the busyness of Easter Day. That way, they can actually enjoy the baskets instead of having to put them aside until after church, lunch, and egg hunting!

Easter egg hunt!

This is a far cry from the Easter egg hunts of my childhood. We boiled and dyed real eggs and actually hid them! HA!

Easter Day!

I love this little table at our cousins' house! 

 An after-lunch Easter egg hunt with hidden eggs....yay!!!

One more photo session before calling it a day!

The end to a wonderful Easter day! 

John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.