Baby Jane's Shower

Before I tell you all about the baby shower we threw for a sweet couple in our community group I first have to tell you how much we love this group of people. Ever since we started attending Access we knew we needed to be involved in a community group, but at the time the groups were meeting anywhere from 30 to 1 .5 hours away from our house- it just wasn't feasible when Adam and I would both work until 6. Then I was pregnant so we used that as an excuse- we'll join a group after Ava is born....yeah right- did I realize how much it would take to have a newborn? The church has GroupLink (where new groups are formed) twice a year, spring and fall. Ava had just been born in time for us to attend the one in the fall, but neither of us wanted to commit to driving the distance 1 night a week with Ava being so little. We, once again, had an excuse. Somehow we kept the excuses up until last fall. Ava was 1, Adam and I both had jobs we were off at 3:30 and 4:00...the timing was there, but we still just would not commit. To be blatantly honest we were just disobeying God. I struggled with giving up a night with Ava and Adam after being away from them all day. Was it wrong for me to want to spend that time with my family? No, but in a sense yes, God wanted us in a group!

Rich stopped Adam at church and mentioned something about a Northside small group and if we would be interested. Adam said yes, because he knew we would be interested, but truth be told- I don't think he ever intended for us to actually commit to it. We woke up on the Sunday morning of GroupLink and all 3 of us were sick. We skipped church and considered trying to make it to GroupLink that afternoon, but we just felt too run down. Around noon that Sunday we received a phone call asking if we could lead the Northside group. It was one of those moments where God was saying to us, you are going to commit to this group even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming!

God definitely knew what he was doing. Why do I ever doubt him? Shouldn't I know this lesson by now?

Since we were sick and unable to make it to GroupLink the couples that were there set up a time to meet for dinner the following Wednesday night. Adam and I wanted to be the first ones there since we were the leaders. We walked into the restaurant and hoped that another couple hadn't beaten us, we wouldn't know since we hadn't ever met any of the couples. It was almost like being on a blind date. After grabbing a table big enough for all of us we scanned the room and figured we were safe and we were the first ones there. About 5-10 minutes later a couple walks in, it was Jim and Katharine. I don't think Katharine said 2 words the whole time we were there. In fact, everyone was cordial, but Adam and I did most of the talking and if you know Adam at all you know that he was totally out of his comfort zone having to small talk :)

We have fallen in love with the couples in our group, we look forward to going every week. It has been amazing to watch a group of people who had never met and the only sure thing we all had in common was where we attended church and that we all wanted to grow in our relationship with Christ, begin to develop relationships that have continued to grow and grow and grow. These people have went from strangers to friends and now, friends to family. We share the good things, the bad things, and even the weird things!

Jim and Katharine have 2 boys and they decided to have 1 more and she's having a girl! We were so excited to find out! We wanted to have a couples baby shower for them with our group, this way Jim wouldn't be left out ;) We really just turned it into a nice dinner and had cake and gave baby Jane gifts.

You know sometimes I question the idea of Jim being a father to baby girl ;) Our group is never dull in the conversations that take place when we are together. I told Adam one night as I was climbing into bed after group, If our group took a trip will all of the other groups, we would be the ones in the back of the bus and I'm pretty sure we would get into trouble the whole time!

Nikki made the cake- it was so cute! Baby Jane's room is pink and green so we wanted to have everything in pink and green.

I am so thankful for our group and especially for these 2 people who I know will be great parents that will raise this little girl in a home that loves the Lord. We are so excited to meet her and can't wait until June 21st!