Family - Baby shower Saturday

We had a surprise baby shower yesterday. Our barn was the venue for yet another wonderful family/friends party. We have spent the last few weeks arranging the party, trying Stu has been trying to prevent Rachel buying too much baby stuff.  We wanted it to be a surprise and I think we succeeded, especially when she turned up at the house yesterday afternoon dressed to help in the garden!!  There was shock, smiles, tears and hugs.  Friends came from near and far to join in the fun.

Rebecca was the main instigator of the party for her sister. She isn't one for games so we knew it would be fairly low key. However, she came up trumps with her party.  She asked Rachel's friends to provide some words of wisdom and encouragement and these were put into a notebook for reading when times get tough or she wants a smile.  We decorated drinking straws with moustaches or crowns so that everyone could make their choice depending on what they thought the gender of the baby would be.  Then the piece de resistance was to paint a baby vest.  Rachel's friends took to this amazingly well and produced some beautiful work.  Who knew there was so much talent out there.

So without further ado here are some photos of the afternoon

Rebecca, Ellen & Anne

Cara and Gemma

Rachel & Stu

Katie, Claire & Rachel

Nikki, Claire & Jo

Stu's mum Jan and Grandma Peggy

Gemma, Rachel, Emma, Carla & Cara

The gifts

Can you believe this doll has a pregnant stomach which revolves to remove the baby!!  Gross

Mel & Lucy, recognise the hat?

Vest gallery

Thank you to everyone who came to make this a special afternoon for Rachel.

So the weekend

Weekends for me start at 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon (1:30 every other week as I have craft group)

Last Thursday I went out for dinner and the theatre with my youngest, this trip was one of my birthday presents from February. We decided to go for dinner at Pizza Express as my husband isn’t a pizza fan so it’s a real treat for me. We followed this with dessert and coffee at Café Nero – triple chocolate cheesecake, oh the calories but I forced myself to eat it!

The play was the Secrets of Sherlock Holmes – not quite what we expected and very short started at 7:45 and we were home by 9:30 and there was an interval! Still dinner and chat certainly made up for the plays shortcomings

Friday was spent house working and gardening in preparation for Sunday’s surprise baby shower (wanted everywhere to look nice).

Saturday morning I spent baking, the Jones arrived mid morning and were whisked off shopping. The evening was spent in town for the annual birthday cocktails and dinner, though this year Mrs Jones was drinking non-alcoholic, you’ll need to read Mrs Jones blog for details of what happened in Brown’s! For dinner we went to Agora (Turkish) very good meal, then got ripped off by the taxi driver on the way home, he wanted £42 to take 6 of us with 2 drop off’s, managed to get him down to £40, but it was a very silent ride home.

Sunday dawned grey and damp, what happened to the promised warmest day of the year? I had planned to have the baby shower in the garden. 10:30 the youngest arrived to whisk away the mother-to-be so I could get on with the shower lunch and all was in place when the guests arrived at 12 – the MTB was suitably surprised and a good time was had by all (I hope). Typically the sun came out just as everyone was leaving.

Don’t forget it’s a bank holiday this weekend so we get an extra long one