A baby shower to end all baby showers!

Wowzers!

That sums up the ability that my sister, my college roommate, and my mom have in planning a party.

It also sums up the overwhelming outpouring of love we were shown by family and friends alike for the M baby celebration!

Kylie's Aunt Traci was the mastermind behind this event. (I have to call it an event because it wasn't your everyday baby shower!) It started with the hand-made invitations that she sent to our local family, Sunday School friends, CCC folks, Ian's VT buddies, and some lifelong friends.

When we arrived around 4:00 everything was in place. Kylie's Uncle Adam was outside with his dad (no, not related to me at all, but his parents came down to join in the festivities ~ I sure love Ann & Mickey!) getting the fire pits ready. Lee had been around for a few hours setting up "firewood stools" for sitting around the fires. Traci, Mama, Mom Miller, Ann, and my college roomie, Beth, and her two girls Anah and Sera (the ones I practiced my baby care skills on, now 9 & 7) were in the house setting out the appetizers and getting "the throne" ready.


And right at 4:30, folks started arriving. From there we were blown away as people kept coming in the front door. At last count there were 75 people there over the course of the afternoon to bring welcome wishes to Kylie! I find that AMAZING for a 10 day notice during the Christmas rush! We had such a delightful time of opening such generous gifts for Kylie and talking with all of our friends. We got adorable outfits for Kylie to wear, toys for her to play with (yay Fisher Price Little People!), books for her to read, bathtime stuff for making getting clean more fun, stuff to make her feel better when she is sick, stuff for feeding times, and even some diapers! After the gifts were open(and it took over an hour to open them all, even with the help of several kids!), we headed outside to join most of the guys and kids at the fire pits to roast hot dogs and chow down on smores.

When it was all said and done we were left thinking two things: 1) How in the world could such a small child possibly need this much stuff? and (more importantly) 2) If there is anyting we have learned through this adoption process it's that family isn't defined by the blood that runs through your veins, but by the support and love that we share for one another.

Welcome to the family Kylie!