Courtney is having her first sweet kiddo, baby girl Delaney, at the beginning of April and Courtney is also a true lover of the cupcake. She’s a cupcake connoisseur. It was a no brainer when thinking about a theme for her baby shower…cupcakes for sure.
Courtney and I have known each other for like forever. It’s been a long long time…like childhood long. We’ve been in a small group Bible study with 3 other good friends for over 4 years. We’re pretty much BFFs with Beth Moore. But when you share a life changing event and connect on this crazy different level that you didn’t really want, but happened anyways, something new takes place and blossoms and grows and changes into the most amazing thing. And you find beauty in the ashes.
Courtney’s incredibly sweet dad died suddenly in August of 2011 and then mom died in November. That’s just not normal. It’s certainly not common…the odds of two friends losing such significant loved ones…parents…is just too rare. I remember dreading Courtney and her crazy amazing family…her mom Sandra, her sister Stef, her brother Jacob and his wife Miranda… coming to the visitation and funeral…it was too soon. Way too soon to go back to that place and those reminders and fresh memories. But there they all were. And they stayed. And they called. And they sent cards. And they brought food. And they visited. And they loved on me and Josh and our kids hard. And a long, long time after the funeral was over and done with, they were still there. And now here we are a whole 15 months later and they’re still standing right along side us. Their family is precious and rare. Their love is big and grand. God has used this family and their grief to minister to me and mine.
So Courtney and I began texting. It started the day her dad passed…texts of prayers and encouragements. Texts of “I’m just so sorry.” and “This just sucks.” And it continued. We literally text every single day. Monday-Friday we greet the day with a text from each other. A “You can do this”, a “You’ve got this”, a “It’s okay if today totally sucks and you cry all day long and emotionally eat like crazy”…it’s just what we do and I love it. Courtney understands the ins and outs of grief and mourning and sadness and bitterness and she extends her hand and heart to me and I extend my hand and heart to her right back. We have a mutual agreement and accountability.
And even though I wish we did not have to share this bond. Even though I wish life with her sweet Dad and my sweet Mom were back, I’ve been challenging myself to find the beauty in this mess. And there sits Courtney…and Sandra, and Stef and Jake and Miranda. These people that are truly beautiful inside and out and love like mad.
Because joy is a little harder to come by lately and looks a bit different, I knew when we started planning Courtney’s baby shower, we wanted it to be simply wonderful for her. We wanted Courtney to feel loved and surrounded and encouraged.
With Delaney joining their family there will be great joy, but also deep sadness. He will not be there to meet this grand little baby girl and they will all be certainly thinking of him all along and on her birth date. I remember how heart wrenching and glorious it was at the same time stepping off the plane with Amon and rushing to find Josh and the kids and the crowd of people I knew were waiting. It was true joy finally being together as a family, but such deep sadness as well knowing Mom would not be right up front waiting to snatch Amon out of my hands as she did with Harper, Hudson and Solomon. And so we wanted this baby shower to be just for Courtney and to bring a brightness to her day.
And when it was all over with…I think it did just that. It brought a bit of joy and brightness to her day and she felt loved and celebrated.
Courtney you are beyond loved…you are cherished. And Delaney will bless your socks off and I cannot wait to meet her. Thanks for being the incredible woman you are.
Happy Monday!
Link Love: Cookie Recipe and Icing Recipe
Straws and Cupcake holders from Hey Yo Yo
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Laura, you are absolutely amazing. I don’t know how you find the time to do all that you do. You are an incredible encourager to me. I love reading your blog, and looking at your precious pictures of the Wee Kelleys. Blessings to you on this beautiful sun shiney day!! 🙂
What a sweet, sweet love story.
I haven’t commented in quite some time because you seemed to have so much love around you but I have to tell you the things you share are so inspirational to so many and I love the love that you share with your friends!!! I truly believe your mom and your friends dad are sooo very proud of you because they are the jewels that were pinned on you both! You do’t just do things for others and you don’t just share things with others, YOU TRULY whole heartily do it!!!! and I know they are so very proud!!! Keep it up because you are sharing everything your mom taught you she is shinning in all you do! What a way to share her, to love her, to give back to her!!
so so beautiful and sweet. God puts people in our lives and we don’t always like WHY, but it is so wonderful you have each other and can live and love one another.
and of course beautiful cookies, and super fun baby onesies, i love decorating onesies at showers! delaney is one of my favorite names.
and I thought of you today when I saw this week’s sevenly cause 🙂 https://www.sevenly.org/
Wow! Well thank you for making me a sobbing mess at work! Your kind words about our family melt my heart! And please know you and your family are just as important and special to us! We all love you, even if you couldnt make us delicious treats!!!! Thank you.
This shower is adorable. I LOVE the chalkboard sign pointing to food, favors, etc and the mini Reeces cupcake idea is genius!!
I am glad that you share such a board with your friend but am sorry that it was forged under sad circumstances. Having lost a parent myself I can relate to the comradery that comes from knowing that someone else just “gets it.” I hope that Jesus will ease the sadness that she is feeling about her dad not being their to experience her baby.
Laura, Laura, Laura,
I’m in tears! You are a beautiful, talented, kind, loving, giving, funny, wonderful bundle of energy. WOW! I am in awe of you!
Girl I agree with what every person wrote. You are a gem and I love your blog because it just pours of love and color and warmth and all a family is. You love hard and through the mess and it is truly beautiful. Like your amazing talent that you share with your art and your baking and decorating it is really something to behold. I know you are carrying on the legacy of your beautiful mom and it is really so beautiful. May His grace cover you and your precious friend.
Gorgeous shower! I especially love the mini cupcake toppers! I love, love, love Sugar Belle’s cookie recipe. It’s the only one I use now. I’ll have to try the royal icing (sort of) recipe now, too. 🙂
Your “death bond” totally sucks and is totally wonderful all at the same time. It is horrible to have to share such a sadness, but so, so good to have people who truly understand what you’re going through and can help you deal.
You threw a fabulous celebration for Courtney and Delaney! Lucky ladies, indeed.
This is such an ADORABLE shower idea—love all that you did! I am especially in love these days with the shape of your monogrammed “d” cookies–where in the world did you find a cookie cutter like that??
Samantha…I got both the cupcake cookie cutter and the square frame cookie cutter from http://www.karenscookies.net/ I love the site and it has tons of good cookie cutters. Hope that helps.