Welcome Home Aster!

My wonderful girlfriends Sharon, Bev, Alli, Erin and Erika (all from my Bible study group at church) hosted a big homecoming/baby shower for Aster at our house this past Saturday. We were lavished with love and gifts, but the best gift of all was having so many friends stop by to meet Aster and celebrate our precious little girl with us!

My friends Heather and Sharon, and Sharon's daughter Morgan, made this beautiful banner with sparkles and all to welcome us home at the airport last weekend.

I just had to save it, so we decided to hang it up over our living room for the party. It's so pretty! I'm not sure when I'll take it down..maybe Christmas!

This is the first bow I put in her hair. She looked so special and pretty that day.

The whole time I opened gifts, I was surrounded by sweet girls who also served as personal assistants.

That is Alli and Erika to the right and then Pa Saw to the left. Pa Saw is Melissa and Mark's adopted daughter (also in this photo with their baby girl Marissa). Pa Saw and her sister Moo Nay (in the photo above this one) are Karen refugees from Thailand.

That is Aster's big-girl cousin, Sara! She drove in with her mom from Raleigh. She loved helping Aster discover her new lights and music learning walker.

I love how Aster is leaning over to see and listen to me. Isnt' that the cutest little outfit I am holding from my friend Jennifer!

My friend Alli's friend Laura, who I met an a nail salon, gave Aster her kid's almost new soft plush rocking snail. It is adorable! Thank you Laura.

Us girls in the kitchen chattin' it up! That's my beautiful friend Erika.

My sweet friend Erin feeding Aster with two sweety pies nearby, Madeline and Emma.

Here are Madeline and Emma's dad and mom, Jason and Sharon Epperly. They brought home their little boy, Jonas, from the Ukraine last February.

More fun toys!

And cute clothes!

Ahh, I love this one. What a cutie pie in that pink hat. I could eat that little fluff of cotton candy!

Micca Campbell, my surprise! She and her husband, Pat, drove 7.5 hours all the way from Nashville, TN for the party. She just had to meet Aster before she got too big to hold and snuggle. I was so happy to see her!

My very sneaky sweet friend, LeAnn Rice, coordinated the surprise! Here she is with Micca in Aster's room.

Aster's Room ~God's sweet gift to me and my little girl!
When we started our adoption process two years ago we prayed long and hard about moving. We loved our old house but we needed room from more. Right when the market was crashing God sold our house in 21 days and led us to this one. When we found the house we now live in (which was a model home), it was completely decorated with a beautiful princess room. Even the window treatments were here! My friend Pam loaned me that beautiful crib that looks like it was made for this room. All I added was the pink princess fluff!

What says girly more than pearls and diamond rings!? Here are my my sweet sisters-in-Christ, Megan and Erin, who happen to also be sisters with each other!

As I showed Aster's room to my friends, I shared with them how we are going stencil one of my favorite verses inside that diamond ring above the bed. It's going to say ~ "You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3"

My friend Jodi is giving me the gift of painting Aster's dresser to match the crib. Won't that be so pretty? I love, love, love this room. Sometimes I just go up there and lay on one of the beds and pretend I'm the princess!

My sweet guys were a little overwhelmed with all the girl-ness going on downstairs. But we caught them watching and enjoying it all from a distance. They are such great big brothers!!