To celebrate the anticipated arrival of Zachary Levi Pelletier we all decided to throw Josh and Jill a co-ed baby shower. A theme was picked – football, the game day selected – the Tennessee Titans vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, and the invitations were mailed. Then we all got into party mode to prepare for the big baby shower kick off.
Saturday, October 18
Day before the party.
As Terry and I were headed to Gallatin with a car full of party supplies Leah was at Sam’s picking up all the groceries for the big day. We stopped to grab some Stroud’s barbeque for everyone for lunch on the way through town and then we all converged on the farm, had a bite to eat and began to turn the house into party central.
Dad and Janice had worked tirelessly to make the farm picture perfect. Bales of hay, beautiful mums, gourds, pumpkins, baskets of walnuts and scarecrows all welcomed your arrival.
Two days before the party Chris brought over an enormous grill that he had borrowed for us to use. Dad, Terry and Roy rolled it into place and then backed up both pick-up trucks so the tailgates faced the back porch. We placed a Titans flag in each of the drivers side windows, popped the tailgates, draped them with quilts and then flanked the tailgates with camping chairs for extra seating.
Meanwhile Janice, Terry and I moved furniture around and set up folding tables. We created a cozy outdoor living room by moving the rugs and furniture from the screened in porch to the pop up tent on the back porch. We set up additional tables covered with white linens for drinks. Sweet iced tea was dispensed from a glass carafe while the galvanized tub and the antique Coca Cola cooler were kept busy chilling iced down Coca-Colas.
Next we set up two, six foot folding tables end to end on the screened in porch and covered them with linens for our food table. We also commandeered a table for three crock-pots.
While we were outside hauling furniture and moving vehicles, Lily was cooing happily on her play mat while Leah was in the kitchen preparing her delicious home made cheese ball and incomparable Reunion Cole Slaw.
Late that afternoon Roy and Leah left to attend a wedding in Nashville. While Janice and I straightened up inside Dad and Terry decided to build a goal post out of PVC as a prop for the party. It was fantastic. They started constructing the goal post in the yard and then moved it to the front porch of the log cabin for final adjustments. However, they were so busy measuring and gluing that they just about built it so that they couldn’t get it off the porch. Laughter ensued but careful maneuvering of the post removed it from its tenuous position.
By six o’clock we were all starving. Dad and Janice had put a roast with carrots and potatoes in the crock-pot earlier in the day and we sat down in the dining room and enjoyed a delicious fall meal. After clearing the table, Janice and I embarked on making a diaper cake for a table centerpiece. While we rolled and stacked diapers, Terry and Dad prepared the hamburgers for the next day as well as tied ribbons around the Titan window flags that we were giving as party favors.
Sunday, October 19
Party Day
It was a perfect fall day but it came early. Dad rang out a hearty good morning about 4:45 a.m. We all rolled out of bed showered, dressed and headed downstairs to begin the final preparations for the big day. Dad had bacon biscuits waiting for all of us to munch on for breakfast. I gratefully washed it down with an ice cold Coke.
Leah called bright and early to ask if we wanted her to pick up Starbucks on her way over and I said, “you betcha.” She arrived around 6:00 a.m. sans cappuccino because Starbucks had yet to open. So sad. Undaunted by the lack of a hot caffeinated beverage, we began to prepare the serving trays and to set the tables. While Dad and Terry ran to the grocery store to pick up ice, balloons and the cake we continued decorating and setting the stage.
Josh and Jill arrived about 10:30 a.m. and they were surprised and thrilled with all the party preparations. While waiting for the guests to begin arriving, a family friend, David Brown, fired up the grill and started grilling hamburgers, hot dogs and some of his special sausage. We also indulged in playing the U.T. Tailgating Bean Bag Toss game that Roy brought for all of us to enjoy. We divided into teams of two and tossed away. I must say that my bean bag tossing skills were sadly lacking.
The pre-game commentary played on radios sitting around the porch as friends and family began to arrive. The smoky smell of the grill lured everyone to the back yard eager to partake of all the delicious food and to sit outside and enjoy a warm fall day.
At half time, Josh and Jill gathered in the dining room to open their mountain of baby gifts. Talk about scoring – everything was so darn cute and will surely be needed in the upcoming months. What a wonderful way to kick-off the impending arrival of baby, Zachary Levi Pelletier!
As the day came to a close, the Titans continued their winning streak defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 34 to 10. Who knows? Maybe they’ll make it to the Superbowl.
The First & Goal Menu:
Hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, baked beans, chips with Ranch dip, Reunion Cole Slaw, black bean salsa with tortilla chips, veggie tray, fruit tray with a strawberry dip, cheese/salami tray, pinwheels, homemade cheeseball with Wheat Thins, Lil’ Smokies, Rotel cheese dip and Tostitos, sweet and sour meatballs. For dessert…customized First and Goal sheet cake, mini cheesecakes, brownie bites, and assorted cookies.
