A Shower for Baby Shep

I just realized that the last two posts I did were lists. I must be feeling listy. But, in an effort to change things up, I'm going to post about Jath's baby shower which I helped throw the other weekend. Here we go!

So on Friday of last, last week (the 15th, rather), Aaron, Jath, Toby, and I packed up and headed to Marion, Aaron's hometown as well as the home to Indiana Wesleyan University, where the three of us went to college. We stayed with Aaron's parents, and - I just love this family. I know that's the general consensus among people who know them, so I know my opinion is nothing special. But seriously...I didn't even know how much I missed them. We spent a lot of time with them in college, since their place was such a nice escape from campus life and was so close. And Aaron's three younger brothers provided hours of entertainment. Being there just reminds me of lounging on the sectional, playing rock band, even camping in the living room!

Here's where we always end up - around the kitchen table, arms out, listening to Jordan talk.

This picture cracks me up. WHAT are these faces? And WHAT are we doing??

Anyways. First thing on Saturday morning, my fellow shower-throwers (Amy, the third roommate in our triple, and Lauren, Jath's sister-in-law) and I headed out for groceries and decorations. We got back right before noon and started right in! Here's the menu:

• Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting (I substituted the banana in the recipe for mashed up apples. And I didn't garnish them with bananas either. Also this frosting recipe is insane, but SO worth it. Try having a partner help you...)
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake (I created this recipe during some Baby Shower Test Kitchen nights I had prior to the shower. Maybe I'll throw it up here as its own post later on...)
• Buckeyes (a big hit...wonder why ;))
• Caramelized Onion Tartlets (tasted like a sour cream and onion chip turned into a pie...weird, but good!)
• Garden Pizza (I used purple cauliflower! It was awesome!)
• Smoked Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms (surprisingly also a big hit...maybe because they tasted like little pizzas without crust.)
• Cheddar Cheese Popcorn (set around the room for munching)
• Apple Cider Punch (just a gallon of apple cider, a 2 liter of ginger ale, and half a can of orange juice concentrate)

The party started the next day, Sunday, at 2 pm, and we were ready! It was wonderful and fun and went off without a hitch. Jath got some great gifts, we prayed for her and even Skyped in her mom and sister who live in PA!

Even though I was completely exhausted when it was over, I didn't really care; it was a *fabulous* weekend.