Showered...or Pampered...with Kitchen Goodies!

Sunday afternoon, my younger sisters, mom, and I went to Reedley for Camille's first shower--Pampered Chef style! Had I known such showers existed, I would definitely had hinted at having one of these when I was getting married :) Instead of bringing a gift to the shower, you have the opportunity to purchase one of the items Camille has wished for from Pampered Chef. On top of that, Camille is considered the hostess, so she gets even more goodies! How fun!! And of course, since it was Pampered Chef, the food was delish!

Camille looked absolutely stunning in a beautiful white dress. I can only imagine what this girl is going to look like on her wedding day! Talk about a glowing bride! 

This party was thrown by a group of Camille's future mother-in-law's closest friends. It was really neat seeing these group of women come together and show such love to my little sister. It was obvious that they all love Scott and Scott's family and can't wait for Camille to be part of the crew.

Carly, the maid-of-honor, and Camille's best friend Lauren

Mom, Camille, and future mother-in-law Cindy

We all signed her official Pampered Chef apron!

A truly special moment of the day was when Scott's aunt and cousin-in-law gave a devotion. Since biking is a huge part of Scott's (and now Camille's) life, they shared a few tidbits of wisdom using the letters B-I-K-E, then presented Camille with an awesome bike clock. Here's my brief paraphrase:

1. B: Balance
Just like you need balance when riding a bike, you need balance in your marriage. You need to make time for what is important, pursuing those key things in life that create balance, such as a relationship with God, with your spouse, and with others, as well as those things that bring joy, health, and fulfillment to your life.

2. I: Inhale (and Exhale), Impel, and Intensify
You can't make a biking journey if you don't breathe. Sometimes, to get through a tough climb, you have to focus on inhaling and exhaling when the gut reaction might be to hold your breath. The simple act of inhaling and exhaling can help us in the everyday frustrations! Impel means to move forward. With biking, you work to move forward! (Unless you're coasting downhill, I suppose...) This is true in marriage: marriage takes work, but if we work at it, we do move forward in love, understanding, and joy. Intensify goes hand-in-hand with this: we may have moments where we have to push through, but we can do it, and there is joy at the end!

3. K: Knowledge
Not knowing where we're headed can be frustrating, in both a bike ride and in life. Of course, we don't often get to know every little bump that will come our way, but we do get the chance to know the God who directs us. Knowledge of where we're headed is important, but knowledge of the Holy One is most important. The more we know Him, the more we love Him, and the more we trust Him with every step of our lives.

4. E: Enjoy
Marriage takes work. After all, it is two people with two personalities and two backgrounds coming together to be one. How could that not require a little bit of give-and-take? But God gives us a spouse, a partner, a best friend so that we can enjoy each other and enjoy life with that person. It is a gift from God, and like all of God's good gifts, one that we can be forever grateful for and one that we can enjoy each day.

Isn't that sweet? I hope Camille and Scott take these words of wisdom to heart. It was helpful for me to hear, even as my hub and I get ready to celebrate eight years!

The next month is full to the brim with showers and parties and celebrations and DIY-ing! Let the fun begin!