Life's Tough as a Party Girl But Someone's Gotta Do It!

Two parties in just one weekend and though I was only hostess to one, I am only halfway through my thank you cards since the first party was for me, but relaxing after a well done team effort to clean up after the second party with the husband. Life's tough as a party girl but someone's gotta do it! I'll gladly be that someone.

Party number one was a baby shower thrown for me by two girls I met through Church. Now, when Andy and I first started going to the new "married" people Church that we were reassigned to (in our Church, when single from 18 - 31, you are assigned to a "Singles Ward" and ward is just another word to designate between the different demographic or language split ups for when we meet at Church), never would I have imagined nine months later, I would actually have friends to throw me a baby shower! Nor would I have imagined having more than 5 people show up because let's face it, it's hard to make friends! Add to that the fact that everyone seems to already know each other and I'm not a dental school wife (huge contingency of dental students at our married people Church) and I can come across as shy/mean/witchy/ snobby when you first meet me (been told by many at work)...

Miraculously, with a little bit of prayer, and a lot of blog stalking (on my part), I not only began to feel comfortable in our new ward, I also began to realize why our Church is set up with structure the way it is and that part of the problem was me and my lack of action to meet and make friends. You see.. one can only enjoy blog stalking for so long- one needs friends in real life too. One can continue going to Church alone (Andy had a lot of calls), feel the Spirit, understand dedicated attendance at church meetings are important, sprint out of Church immediately when it ends so many times before one feels lonely and in need of company. A lot of ex-Mormons poke fun about our Church's monthly home and visiting teaching program* and how we may all grief over getting it done the last weekend of the month. They make it sound like it's useless but we do it because we follow blindly. Too bad they can't realize the beauty of the organization that has been restored for us that helps us when we're in need.

I guess I never had to worry about making friends at Church because from day one of showing up at Church, I had been the "investigator" and then the "recent convert" whereas in the new ward, I was no longer the new investigator that everyone went out of their way to meet. I was no longer the recent convert that everyone was trying to fellowship. I was just another somebody.. Who felt like a nobody. And don't think anybody cared. Except Him. Heavenly Father had my back.

Not only did I have a baby shower - I had one of those cute ones that I admire from afar online with matching everything, themed something, delicious yummies and uber cute games and prizes.

"It's a Boy!" banner that will be re-used and hang over the baby's crib. Love Martha Stewart poms!

I'm just bananas over the theme!

Love the color combo - not your typical baby blue!

Pancakes, Croissants, Fruit, Spinach Salad, Cupcakes - miam!

in case you missed the theme!

the best part about the deco? will be worn by our boy later! that lil monkey!

Group Shot

a palette of baby food!

being served on a silver platter!

stinky poop on a diaper

but it's really just chocolate

Loveeeee the banana gummies

These girls planned the whole shin dig!

Andy is going to build a shelf to put these blocks on in the study/baby's room.

Stop monkeying around and check out dem cupcakes!

Second party was our first ever real adult party. Meaning, there were kids there too (a bit of a paradox). All together, we had 13 adults, 6 kids and 1 baby. Just another typical Sunday potluck with friends who also live atop the hills in our little tucked away corner of Los Angeles, except it's not so typical and the only thing typical about it was our constant mentioning of how we should do it for the last 6 months. Finally, I took charge, sent out an evite and Andy and I opened our home for a Texas style BBQ potluck (only two families showed up according to theme and Andy wouldn't put on my authentic Texas cowboy hat so we failed). We had pulled buffalo chicken sandwiches, corn on the cob, cheesy biscuits, guacamole and chips, lemon bread, cookies, strawberries, lemonade and punch (forgot to take photos.. bummer) but the best part was having 5 kids run around playing hide n seek, loving their corn on the cob, and daring each other to get in the dryer (I monitored them and saw one of the girls scold the others with, "Come on guys, this is not something to play around with!" as she closed the dryer and ended their dialogue of who would go in first). After everyone left, we spent a good forty-five minutes cleaning up, but it was great and totally worth it! I'd do it again in a heartbeat because opening our home up to others every now is oodles of fun and it helps train us for when we'll get to open our home for the family to come for Christmas!

Life's a ball when you're just partying it up. I had a great weekend and should consider going into the party planning business. I'm not as good as the ladies who threw my baby shower, but I'm sure I'll have lots of practice over the years with kid birthday parties, a bridal shower for my BFF coming up! and hopefully, some baby showers for my own friends once they are prego! Excited for the opportunity and looking forward to it!

*The home teaching is when two priesthood (males) visit a family and the visiting teaching is just for the sisters of the Church to visit each other in pairs as well. Visiting teaching and home teaching is how I met most of the people I know well at Church today.