One Feisty Blog

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Showered with Affection

A friend I've known for almost 20 years called me last night to ask if some of the ladies from the church (Vancouver) I attended during my teen and young adult years could throw me a baby shower when we're in town next weekend.

Wow.

I haven't been a member at Vancouver since sometime in 2000 when I got a job in/moved to Beaverton and started attending Southwest. I haven't even seen the friend who's hosting the shower since my wedding four years ago. I can't begin to tell you how touched I am that they still consider me part of the family and love me enough to want to throw a party for me and our baby. Seriously, it's so touching. That kind of loyalty and unconditional love and kindness is the way our Christian family ought to be, but sadly, the last few years have shown me that it's so rare. I can't even tell you how encouraging it is--especially after four years of living in this friendless wasteland and the last few months of constant strife at church. Those are some good people right there. And they've proved to me once again where my home really is.

So anyway, my sweet friends are throwing me a baby shower on Sunday afternoon after TLC. I'm pretty sure the hostess (Christina Hill, PT and Karen Barnum's daughter) lives in Vancouver, and I think the party starts around 3 pm. And I know that any of you who would like/are able to come are SOOOOO welcome. So are the ladies at Renovatus who don't read this (like Brenda and Kay and Angela and whoever else cares), so please let them know if you think of it. You don't need to bring anything but yourselves--I've got lots of baby clothes, but far too few chances to hang out with my friends. If you want directions, you can leave your email or phone number in the comments section and I'll get them to you when I get them. Or you can just wait and catch up to me or my mom or Chris Fields or Rachel Holcombe at TLC.

If you can't make it to the party, I hope we at least get to hug each others' necks at the Convention Center on Sunday morning!

posted by Unknown at 9:39 AM

30 Comments:

  • I am right there with you Gina! Witht he whole feeling like that church will always be your home. When Luke and I got married, they threw a shower for me, even though I hadn't been a part of that church in forever! And even cooler than that, some friends came to teh shower that I ahd really hurt (when I was not being Jesus-like) and loved on me anyways! I agree that THAT is how the family of God should be! Everywhere there is chuch, there should be that much joy, forgiveness, love and understanding!

    Good for you, Vancouver c of c-er's! PRaise the Lord for Kingdom family like you!

    Have fun at your shower! I wish I could be there! I want to know your addy so I can give Tank a baby gift too! But... blogs are so public. Let's do the email thing sometime, Kay?

    Lovies, KK

    By Blogger Kara Deal, at 11:56 AM  

  • can i come? can i come?

    By Blogger rebecca marie, at 12:10 PM  

  • Kara, I'm not the least bit surprised that they threw a shower for you and treated you so well even after a long absence--but I think you're too hard on yourself. People don't have to love your behavior to love you.

    I'm pretty sure a high percentage of the best people on the planet do God's work in Vancouver. I always suspected as much, but being away has only reinforced that opinion. After all the trouble we've been having with the church here, I really needed something like this to boost my faith in Christians and their ability to act like Christ.

    Rebecca Marie, are you freakin' kidding? Of COURSE you can come! That would be comprised of awesome. (You do realize that the hostess is the sister of a certain boy who made me hate your guts for a while in high school, right? Too funny!)

    I feel weird inviting people to my baby shower via my blog...I promise I'm not doing any unseemly gift grabbing. I just wanna see my peeps!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 12:31 PM  

  • I really can't get away with using the word "peeps," can I?

    By Blogger Unknown, at 12:32 PM  

  • Nah, all chicks can utter peeps.

    I've got a meeting downtown this Sunday at 3:30 that I need to not miss, and I made other church plans for Sunday morning. Rats! Any plans to hit Holiday Fair on Saturday?

    By Blogger Lindsey, at 2:15 PM  

  • Lindsey--That's kind of a bummer, at least for me. I hope the meeting is fun, though.

    I didn't realize that Holiday Fair was going to be this Saturday. I thought it was in mid-November. We might be able to pop in for a little while after lunch--we're heading for The Taco House as soon as we leave the airport. I must appease my cravings! Will you be there in the afternoon, say 2ish?

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2:22 PM  

  • OOhh! Horray for Giant Church! I think that was the last time I saw Andrea. And some creepy guy hit on me. At church. It was creepy. Horray for baby showers! Have a safe trip. Oh, and I will be down in Le Boi the 10-12 for the Tiny Little Baby Butt, but maybe we can be friends!

    By Blogger arwen, at 2:32 PM  

  • Arwen? I got hit on by a creepy guy at church once. I married him.

    (Just kidding. Steve didn't hit on me at church.)

    We have to go to childbirth class the weekend you're going to be here. Dang it! (The class ends around 4ish on Saturday, so maybe we can have dinner or something that night?) That Sunday is Ty's 30th birthday. We're hosting church services for "the rebel alliance" during the month of November, so we'll have a houseful till around 3:30 or 4ish. If you're going to be here Sunday night, that's an option, too. You can sing "Happy Birthday" at Ty and make him blush. It's easy AND it's fun!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 3:02 PM  

  • Hooray! I can certainly be at Holiday Fair around 2-ish, especially if I know there's a chance you'll be there! (I may have booth duty too, actually.)

    By Blogger Lindsey, at 3:24 PM  

  • Did I hear airport? When do you arrive? When do you leave? Because...you know, I work there. I might be able to see your face! Let me know.

    By Blogger Christi, at 3:30 PM  

  • Christi, yes, I said airport. Steve and I arrive on Saturday a little before noon. And we leave on Wednesday around 2:30ish. I think. Or maybe that's when we need to get to the airport on Wednesday.

    We're flying Southwest, so I don't know if we'll even have access to the part of the airport you're in. If we do, we'll do our best to swing by and do a little hug and howdy time.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 4:57 PM  

  • I'm off Saturday, but definitely Wednesday swing by for a little java at Starbucks if you're on my side of the port. I'd love to see you.

    By Blogger Christi, at 5:23 PM  

  • You betcha we will--which Starbucks will you be slingin' brew from? And how late will you be there?

    By Blogger Unknown, at 5:40 PM  

  • I will be at Holiday Fair sometime on Saturday...hopefully our paths will cross! And as much as i would love for you to meet Liam, he's staying at home...it's a girls only trip to portland! -pris

    By Blogger Priscilla, at 10:54 PM  

  • Yay! It would be so good to see you, Priscilla! I hope we manage to be there at the same time.

    Are you going to be there for TLC, too? It's always a challenge to see everyone you hope to see there, and forget about having any meaningful conversations...but it's still good for plenty of drive-bye hugs.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 10:48 AM  

  • can you email me the information when you get official time/location and stuff?

    rebecca hyphen marie at hotmail dot com.

    By Blogger rebecca marie, at 11:04 AM  

  • No problem, RM. I should probably call Rachel and get the appropriate info, shouldn't I? It would probably a good thing to know when and where to show up for my own shower.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 11:15 AM  

  • I wish I could go to TLC, but some girlfriends and I are just going down for the day on Sat. I hope to see you and the little guy!

    By Blogger Priscilla, at 2:37 PM  

  • you are going to be in town?!

    By Blogger tabitha jane, at 10:45 AM  

  • Tabs, Ty arrived this morning and is staying till early Monday morning. Steve and I will be there for parts of Saturday and Sunday, then we're heading to the beach to celebrate our anniversary. (It's become a yearly tradition, but who knows if we'll be able to keep it going once the munchkin arrives.)

    We planned it for this weekend because we hope to see bunches of people we love at TLC. (And because I cannot go one more day without some Taco House food.) And also because we were in Cannon Beach/Seaside last Halloween and it was super-fun in a quaint, idealized small-town sort of way.

    We can't wait! Might we convince you to show up at Holiday Fair (between 2ish and 3ish) or TLC so we can hug your neck?

    By Blogger Unknown, at 1:29 PM  

  • or, perhaps tabitha would like me to pick her up on the way to the shower?

    By Blogger rebecca marie, at 1:43 PM  

  • That would be even better, RM...it's just that I feel all weird and inappropriate when I beg my friends to attend an event which features lots o' presents for me (well, for the munchkin...but he's not going to like 'em as much as I will). It makes me feel all gift-grabby, and that's not cool. In fact it's comprised of lame.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2:45 PM  

  • no worries. i'll call her and figger it out. then i'm doing the asking!

    By Blogger rebecca marie, at 3:13 PM  

  • You rock the mostest!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 6:03 PM  

  • what color is your nursery?

    By Blogger rebecca marie, at 8:00 AM  

  • It's medium-to-light blue. The furniture is all white. The bedding on the daybed in there has yellow, blue, pink, and green.

    We've got a Noah's Ark theme going, but we're not going crazy with themey stuff. We don't have any matchy crib bedding or anything--just a couple of Noah's Ark quilts I cross-stitched.

    (I probably should have mentioneed that I'm registered at Target and Babies R Us, but again with the feeling weird about the gifts thing.)

    By Blogger Unknown, at 9:22 AM  

  • So if you get this before you leave...I'm off at 2:30 on Wednesday so hopefully we'll have a few minutes to chat!!!

    By Blogger Christi, at 3:54 PM  

  • Christi, you barely caught me! I think we'll be getting to the airport around 2:30 (I really should check that), so if your path home takes you by the Southwest check-in counter, that's probably where we'll be when you're leaving. Look for us! We'll be looking for you!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 4:51 PM  

  • I just read this post or I would have totally come to your baby shower! Now I am sad. I hope that it was fantastic! When are you due anyway?

    By Blogger Jess, at 11:17 PM  

  • Jess, I wish you could have been there, too. But it's okay, I know how it goes. The shower was a lot of fun--it was great to spend some time with everyone there, it had been way too long!

    Oh, my official due date is February 2, but I suspect it's really a few days later than that. I'm pretty sure my kid will be just contrary enough to come on the 4th--right in the middle of the Super Bowl!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 10:04 AM  

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