A little cleaning and a shower

On Saturday morning, we started our month of cleaning the church with several other families in the ward; the Leavitts, Opps, Hammonds, Wrathalls, Owens & we were assigned to the Saturday cleaning schedule for the month of November. After a fun-filled hour of scrubbing kitchen counters, mopping up chalky boards and vacuuming worn carpets, we headed home. Mindy's baby shower was at 11:30 and I needed to get down to Renton quickly!

I got ready and headed for I-405 South. The day was gray and cool but I loved the beautiful drive as I headed east towards Maple Valley, where the canyon was bursting with fall colors. Sometimes it is so fun to just drive, listen to good music and take in the view - this was definitely one of those days...

I arrived a bit earlier than I expected so I took advantage of this free time by reading my scriptures. (If you think it’s odd that I had my scriptures handy, you would understand if you saw my “purse” which could double as a piece of luggage or a diaper bag.) Grabbing my gift bag full of shower goodies, I headed in to the party. Dawna, Mindy’s sister-in-law was a gracious hostess. Her home was warm and inviting, and upon arrival, she immediately directed us to a bountiful buffet of soft tacos, nachos and other lunchtime amenities. It was a nice, relaxed atmosphere as we chatted and ate our lunch.

Most of the attendees were friends, ward members and family from the south Seattle area; I knew that there would be few people I even recognized. I was fortunate to get a seat next to the guest of honor and we had some time to catch up. We only played one game (yea!) – a “Baby Shower-White Elephant” gift exchange, which landed me a lovely collection of pink rosebud note cards. My seating choice also garnered me the opportunity to be the recorder of gifts, which gave me a slight sneak preview on the “goods.” It was great to see and chat with Mindy’s mom, Trudie, her sister (Stacey) and Stacey’s newest addition, Devin. It was especially fun to meet Mindy’s grandma in person; when Mindy & I worked together at UWMC, she often called the office and I would talk with her. I thought it was so sweet of her to come over and introduce herself. After a 45-minute present opening bonanza, I hugged Mindy and headed for home.

Mindy is an amazing woman and I feel grateful for our friendship over the past six years. The first time I met her (interviewing her for a job in our office), I was so impressed with her maturity and confidence... and she was only 18 years old! She has a cheerful demeanor, great sense of humor, and loves life - not to mention the fact that she is super crafty, resourceful and an awesome cake decorator! It was wonderful to see her... and I’m excited to see Mindy again in her new role as “mommy.” (Pictures are courtesy of Mindy's blog, as I forgot my camera.)