Okay, I finally uploaded these photos, so I thought I'd do a little back tracking. There's a lot of drama that surrounded my shower. At one point FMIL wasn't going to come, etc...
I think I even posted up about my horrible nightmare I had the night before. I dreamt that Chuck and I were out and about and my shower was at 3pm (it was really at noon) and that Chuck took me to his friend's house and left me there while he went to run an errand. We were in Michigan, but I totally didn't know the area and I had no idea how to get to my shower. So then, I finally realized that I could take this subway/tunnel system. All I could think about was how angry FSIL and FMIL were going to be for me being late. So I'm in this tunnel system (very similar to the utilidors under MK only a lot cleaner

) and I'm following the signs to get to Jiko!!! Oh my.
So I woke up panicked. I was just very freaked out. Despite being together for 11 years, our families have never really mingled witht he exception of FSIL, she used to work for my mom. And there was such an age/culture gap between my mom and Chuck's mom. And some of my mom's side of the family are unique. So, I was just really freaked out about how everything is going to go.
So I get ready and head off to Champp's (yes, a sports bar at noon on a saturday

) I call a couple of my girlfriends to make sure they are on their way and they assure me that they are. Well, I get there at 11:55am and NO ONE from my side is there save one person. It's FMIL, FSIL, Chuck's grandmother and then FMIL's two friends and FSIL's two friends (who she didn't tell me she invited until the night before!?! Now, I know them and like them, but it was weird.) So, I start to panic and call people. I can't beleive my Mom is LATE!!! Ugh, so I'm talking to my single person, one of my Mom's friends who I've known my whole life and she's like, yeah... don't you know you're mom is alway late? Ummmmm.... NO!

Finally everyone shows up and we get the show started. It was akward to say the least. We ordered lunch and then played a few games. After everyone had lunch we had desserts and started opening gifts. Well, right as I'm going to open gifts everyone decides to inform me that the # of ribbons you break is how many children you'll have...

I didn't break one ribbon!!! Not that I don't want any children, but why tempt fate. We're just not ready now.
Me holding up a couple of gifts...
My step-father's sister-in-law gave me this gift. (So I guess she's my step-aunt-in-law?? lol) It's an expansion set for the lenox nativity set that I got when my step-father's mother, my Grandma B, passed away. It was really sweet that she passed it on to me, but a little bittersweet b/c they signed the card "Grandma B" and she hasn't been with us for over 5 years now! I got a little teary eyed!
So, something that was weird (to me) was that FSIL announced that they weren't paying for alcoholic drinks, so if you wanted to drink that you had to start a tab. Now, the reason this was kinda weird is b/c everyone had already ordered waters or soft drinks... However, my girlfriend Beth did start a tab and got me some drinks to help calm me a bit.

It helped. I got all warm and fuzzy and smiley.
Also, my mom had asked me before she even flew in to MI from AZ what she should wear. She specifically asked if jeans and a sweater were okay and I very specifically said NO. I told her she should dress it up at least a little bit. It must have gone in one ear and out the other... She showed up in jeans and a big, chunky sweater...
That's my Mom's mom in the picture. And my grandma. But were just not that close. It was nice that she came though. Her and my Aunt got lost finding the place and that's why they were late. They're totally from a different part of town and they weren't familiar with the area.
Oh, and I was told that we weren't going to have a cake! And I kinda made a big deal about this b/c it just seemed weird to me. FSIL/FMIL decided they wanted to do small sweets instead. So there were all these little tarts and TWO chocolate strawberries?!? Everyone wanted the chocolate strawberries and it was weird to see grown women grumble over a chocolate covered strawberries. I mean, I love em and they're one of my favorite treats... but I didn't get one trying to keep everyone else happy. Well, I think FSIL got the point that I wanted a cake b/c she surprised me with one...
The cake topper is a bride dragging a groom and there's claw marks from where he's dragging his fingernails.

It was funny. And everyone loved the cake the best of all the desserts. Hmpf.
Another weird thing... because my FSIL invited a couple of her girlfriends she sat with them the whole time. I mean, we're all friends and we've all been out together before, but it was just weird. I had other friends there, but it just seemed weird that she wasn't sitting with me?!?
Anyhow, it ended up being a success and people seemed to have an okay time, but to me it just seemed like something I needed to "get through."

In fact this whole process just seems so surreal.
On a happy note... some pics of my niece. One with a chocolate covered strawberry
And my niece and I together...