The Bruffeys: Our Family: SURPRISE! Baby Shower in Michigan!

We started blogging our life as best friends, husband and wife, in 2006 shortly after we got married. Once we had children, I created a new blog for our growing family. This is our blog sharing the story of our life: beginning with our first pregnancy and our journey as parents to our beloved firstborn, BB1, who arrived in our world perfectly on 11.5.2010 and his precious sister, BB2, born on 10.6.2012, our sweet third baby, BB3, born 2.3.2015, our 3rd vivacious daughter, BB6, born on 5.1.2018 and our 2nd living son and final Bruffey Baby, BB8, born 6.23.2021. We also love our 3 greatly missed babies in Heaven, BB4 (born in Heaven at 5 weeks 5 days on 10.8.2016) BB5 (born still at 16 weeks on 2.5.2017), and BB7 (born in Heaven at 7 weeks 3 days on 10.23.2019). I will share my stories of our family, of being a wife, a mother, a home manager, a friend, a woman, a Hope Mom, and a person pursuing hope in Christ through life and death, joy and pain. Welcome to our journey!

Monday, June 28, 2010

SURPRISE! Baby Shower in Michigan!

My sisters (Virginia Beard (twin) and Maren Hewes) and I get together once a year for a Sisters' Weekend. We alternate whose home city we gather in annually. This was our 5th annual Sisters' Weekend and this year we met up in Holland, Michigan where Virginia lives. To see more about this year's Sisters' Weekend - go to: http://joshuaandelizabeth.blogspot.com/2010/07/sisters-weekend-2010-our-5th-annual.html

Virginia and Maren are both marathoners and avid runners and Virginia is part of a running group through a local Gazelle store there in Holland. She and her running group planned a surprise shower for me and Baby Boy Bruffey!! Virginia had a wonderful prenatal massage planned on Saturday morning and then I arrived back at her home to a group of people and a surprise shower! It was WONDERFUL!

Thank you to the Holland Gazelle running group for giving of your time and generosity for a person you'd never met and to Virginia for your heart for your family and nephew! To Maren, Pam, and Carol - thank you for your support and being a part of this special day!

Robyn's house where I had my prenatal massage - she was AWESOME!

Virginia, Amy Lynn, and Maren

(Amy Lynn is the assistant coach for Virginia's running group and took on a lot of the coordinating, shopping, and planning for the shower while Virginia was in east Africa for 3 weeks - Thanks Amy Lynn - it was awesome!)

Amy Lynn - Coordinator Extraordinaire!

Beautiful, fresh flowers Amy Lynn bought at the Holland Farmer's Market

A cool picture

Another cool picture

The cake Virginia made - it had pineapples in it - YUM!

Close up of a pacifier on the cake

So cute!

Ladies enjoying the shower

(Virginia, Beth, Marissa, and Maren)

Chatting at the shower

Shower guests

(Amy Lynn, Marissa, Maren, and Carol)

My favorite shower treat!!! Virginia made this - it had cream cheese (I think) and chocolate chips, etc. - awesome!

Such great ladies!

(Cathy, baby Madison, Deb, and Jaye)

Virginia won the first guest drawing!

(all the guests who brought a Target gift card were entered into the drawing - great idea Amy Lynn!)

Cathy won the second guest drawing

Enjoying time at this surprise shower! (with Carol - Virginia's mother-in-law who drove in from Lansing)

Mommy to be!

Talking with Carol

Maren, Virginia, and Carol doing the other shower activity - decorating bibs!

A CUTE decoration used as a table centerpiece - that we'll use in our son's nursery

Maren's bib for our son - "I love my aunt"

(And we love you too, Tante Maren!)

"I love you my Mama" (Swahili - from Aunt Rup of course!)

"My Aunt Rup loves me" (and I love you too Aunt Rup!)

(another Swahili bib from Aunt Rup!)

Hysterical!

So creative!

It took me a second to get this one - then I loved it! "House White" means milk! :-)

Carol made this one - she is a huge Michigan State fan!

Amy Lynn made this one - her brother attends Texas Tech and she loved Lubbock!

I made these 2 - in honor of my nieces/nephews (Matthew, Taylor, Emma, Parker, Markus) and our son's other cousins (Baby Boy Thompson, Mallory, Chase, etc.) and, OF COURSE, my wonderful husband, Josh - the Daddy to be!

Our littlest guest - Cathy's daughter - so precious!

Ladies chatting

Maren - a great sister!

Target gift cards!

BOOKS! Josh and I both LOVE "Green Eggs and Ham"!!

SUCH a great book!!

How cute!

A great sister with a HUGE heart! We love you Aunt Rup!

Thank you all for such a special event! I cannot wait to use the gift cards to go shopping for our son, smile! May you be richly blessed in return for your generosity!

~ Elizabeth and Baby Boy Bruffey

2 comments:

The Bonjour FourJuly 10, 2010 at 4:22 PM
awww how sweet! That is such a great idea to get together! I have two sisters too. We should take the time every year to get together like you and your sisters do.

What a precious shower!

Hey in the mens section at target they have a comfortable tee that says, "green eggs and ham" with the dr. seuss characters. I got it and it's so comfortable! Just thought I'd pass it along. :)
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The ChristiansJuly 18, 2010 at 8:16 PM
How fun!! Looks like you had a great time! Sisters are the best! I only have one, but I wouldn't trade her for the world!
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The 1st Daughter: BB2

Our 2nd child was born at home 10.6.2012 - a beautiful water birth we had planned and prayed for! We are so excited to finally be holding this little one in our arms and rejoice in her presence in our family! She is our most intense, free thinking child. We delight in her and find that she is so smart and curious and has a deep need to connect with others. She is a true artist with skill in painting and drawing and she loves to express herself in this way. She loves to be a helper at home and brings excitement and a true light for life into our family!

The 2nd Daughter: BB3

Our third child was born 2.3.2015 (at 38 weeks, 6 days - a huge surprise to us!) just as fast as her big sister, arriving in the parking lot of the local hospital's birth center. We are so grateful to God for sending us another little child as a part of our family! She is SO full of joy and brings a soft sweetness to our family. She adores babies and anything that she can nurture. She has a true mama's heart. She loves to sing and dance and is very much a mama's girl. She is a true joy to our family!

Our 1st Baby in Heaven: BB4

Jordan Emmanuel Bruffey: We were overjoyed when we unexpectedly found we were pregnant with a 4th child in late September 2016. I had always hoped to have 4 little ones though we hadn't decided to try for a 4th yet. This sweet baby's life was very short, as we lost her (we do not know gender for sure) to miscarriage early, around 5 weeks 5 days. We were heartbroken, but this baby's passing has been used mightily by God in our lives and to guide us to serving others in a new way. My mother's heart longs for this baby and cannot wait to hold her in Heaven!

Our 2nd baby in Heaven: BB5

Jonathan Patrick Bruffey: After our 1st loss, we decided to try for another child. We were so grateful when we learned we were pregnant just about 5 weeks after our 4th baby passed away. We prayed diligently for the health of this cherished 5th child. I had wonderful prenatal care and had the privilege of seeing this baby, a son, on ultrasound a few times. We got to watch him grow and play and turn and hold his sweet hands over his head. Though his life ended much sooner than we would have liked, we are so glad we got to enjoy him while he was with us. Quite unexpectedly, at a routine check when I was 15 weeks 5 days pregnant, we learned his heart had beat its last and his soul had gone to Heaven. We were crushed. And still mourn this much prayed for son, We named him Jonathan, "God's gift", as he was very much a gift to our family. He was born in what can only be described as a divinely powerful, beautiful, and peaceful birth on Sunday, 2.5.2017, already in Heaven. We got to hold him and were amazed by his perfect little body, though so still. The grief journey of birthing and burying a child that has passed away is very much one day, one minute, one breath at a time. God has met our needs (Philippians 4:19) in each second as we grieve the death of our precious son.

The 3rd Daughter: BB6

Our 6th baby, Emma Elizabeth Bruffey, arrived powerfully on 5.1.2018. We cautiously, hopefully, prayerfully, eagerly, anxiously awaited her arrival. The verse I clung to during my pregnancy after 2 losses was: "...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:6-8. She loves her baby dolls and adores her Daddy. She gives the best snuggles and is a quiet, adorable joy in our home!

Our 3rd Baby in Heaven: BB7

Samuel Paul Bruffey: We learned on 10/1/2019 that we were unexpectedly, yet gladly, pregnant for the 7th time. This sweet baby seemed to be growing strong, so we were devastated to learn on 10/15/2019 that the baby had stopped developing. This sweet little one passed to Heaven on 10/23/2019. Our hearts were again shattered as we had to say good-bye to another precious baby here on earth. Our oldest son, convinced this baby is a boy, chose the name Samuel Paul Bruffey. We will hold you in our hearts forever our precious Samuel... until we one day hold you in Heaven. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ~ Revelation 21:4 "I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." ~ 2 Samuel 12:23 (David, after the death of his young son); ~ Simply Missing You, My Baby, Today and Everyday ~

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Monday, June 28, 2010

SURPRISE! Baby Shower in Michigan!

2 comments: