Sean and I ended up with family pretty near each other – less than 2 hours drive apart – up north. His mom’s side of the family including aunt and uncle, cousins and their families live north of Butler and have a beautiful farm. My family is in Warren, OH – mom, stepdad, dad, sister, aunt, cousins and family friends. We talked with our moms about having a joint family party/baby shower somewhere between both spots and it was so awesome that they decided to do this for us. L’uva Bella Bistro and Winery was the location in Poland, OH and it was really nice location with a private room for our party where we had a very NE Ohio lunch of salad, pasta with meatballs, garlicky greens and sausage with peppers. My mom planned for us to have photos of me and Sean throughout our childhood years in frames and in collages. I had a lot of fun looking through the old photos with my mom, aunt and sister.

Sean’s cousins Michele, Mary Anne and Julia made decorations for the nature theme which included beautiful plants like hibiscus, small jars of honey from Michele’s house, and gorgeous mobile for over Harrison’s crib. Aunt Elaine made a tray of cookies including ladyfingers, one of my faves!

My mom had the cake made by a local bakery in Howland, OH that won Cake Wars! She gave them the invitation so they could match the look and picked out the exact flavor combinations I would have – lemon cake, lemon curd filling, buttercream frosting. Everything was just beautiful!

Eric, Ron, Angie, Aunt Barbie, Amanda

Amanda, John, Mom, Karen

Mary Jane with me and Sean

Mary Anne and Julia

Kim, Aunt Elaine, Michele

Opening such nice gifts. 🙂

This cake was DELICIOUS!

Back at my mom’s house, we got some more photos in the backyard. Me, my mom and my sister Angie.

Now with Stella and Lucy.

Ron and Alfred.

Mary Jane, Kathy and Sean.

Sunday was our last day and both Sean and I were really sad to go.We had yummy breakfast outside (not something we get to do in Georgia much in the sweltering summer heat), and I hung out with Stella and bumpie on the swing. 

Mom took me and Sean on a nostalgic tour of Champion, past the elementary and middle schools I went to that are completely closed up and ready for demolition. So many memories, and so sad to see them torn down.

The high school I went. So many wonderful memories. The middle and elementary have a new complex next door.

We drove by the house we lived in with my mom before she and Ron got married and built their house. This was the creek we spent hours and hours and hours playing in as kids. It’s so overgrown now but still beautiful. My mom used to call the county when we lived next to this and have them cut back all the overgrowth. It was an awesome childhood.

What a wonderful trip and fantastic shower that our moms had for us. Very thankful to spend such quality time with family before baby Harrison arrives. <3