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Photography by Susan Jackson
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The host:
Tom Manche
The location:
Christ Church Cathedral
Color theme:
Blue, yellow, lime green
The flowers:
Randy Felkey Florals
The caterer:
Art of Entertaining
The pastry chef:
Tim Brennan, Cravings
Honoring:
Alex, the to-be-adopted son of Joe and Laura Manche Buhr
The call came on a Thursday. The adoption agency informed Laura Buhr that it had a healthy, beautiful little boy between 10 months and a year old who was ready to be adopted. Then the agency asked what Joe Buhr called "the stupidest question in the world: 'Do you want him?'"
In tears, Laura said, "Of course." For nearly a year she and Joe had been working on adopting a child from Russia. At last, their dream was coming true, with a child younger than they had expected. "It's better than we could have imagined," Joe says.
Laura suffers from excruciating migraine headaches that require daily medications that could prove harmful to a fetus. So she and Joe gave up trying to conceive and started concentrating on adopting. Now, seven years after making their wedding vows, they are getting ready to welcome their child. They've named him Alex. Barring any snafus, the Buhrs will take their first trip to Russia to meet the baby later this month and then return a month or two later to finalize the adoption and bring him home.
Tom Manche, owner of Tom Manche Interiors—also Laura's boss, and father and the proud grandfather-to-be—threw a baby shower for the couple just three days after they received the great news.
On a sunny Sunday in March on the fourth floor of Christ Church Cathedral downtown, more than 30 friends and family arrived to wish the couple well and shower the yet-to-arrive Alex with presents amid hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches and salad from the Art of Entertaining and chocolate raspberry cake from Cravings.
While he waited thousands of miles away in an orphanage in the province of Stavropol, his parents opened box after box—clothes, books (of course, Good Night Moon, Pat the Bunny, a set of Golden Books, a sampling of Dr. Seuss), toys, a miniature putter, traveling playpen ("This is for Grandpa," Laura said firmly), blankets, stroller, Diaper Champ and so much more. In honor of his heritage, Alex also received a book on Russian history as well as a book about a Russian orphanage and a tiny stackable Russian doll.
The bounty was arranged on a banquet table before being packed up and hauled to the Buhr's home and into Alex's room--now at the ready for its new occupant, henceforth and forever known as a chosen child. The walls are painted blue, the crib is set up, the dresser has arrived. All that is left is adding window treatments. But outside the nursery window, landscape designer Abigail Ullmann of Landscapes by Design is plotting and planting a garden for Alex, complete with birdbath and beds of flowers.
"I understand the orphanages aren't very nice, kind of old and rundown places," Joe says. "Laura wanted to make sure he had a garden right outside his room."
Joe, an executive at Symantec, also moved his office downstairs to leave room for a playroom nearby. Now, post-shower, they have the toys to fill it.
The Menu
- Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts
- Mini potato baskets
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Mini chicken salad croissants
- Ham, turkey and roast beef sandwiches
- Spring greens with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and walnuts
- Chocolate cake with raspberry filling topped with a Russian carved wooden figure
The Recipes
From The Art of Entertaining
Bacon-wrapped chestnuts
1 can whole water chestnuts, drained
24 pieces bacon, cut in half
1/2 cup brown sugar
24 toothpicks
Wrap water chestnuts with pieces of bacon, secure bacon with toothpick. Put in pan, cover with brown sugar. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 25–30 minutes.
Stuffed mushrooms
48 medium-sized mushroom caps
1/2 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Mix ingredients together and stuff each mushroom with 1 teaspoon filling. Place on sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes.
The Guests
Susan Block
Connie Boeger
Mark Brennan
Rose Connor
Jacqueline Daniels
Mary DeHahn
Joan Manche DeLarber
Tom Edelmann
Ginger Evans
Jerri Finch
Jean Frazee
Ron Freiwald
Ruth Gilbert
Vince Gricus
Caty Griesedieck
Deborah Holmes
Marie Imo
Ed Jacobitti and Barbara Hertenstein-Jacobitti
Gary and Linda Johnson
Lorraine Kee
Mary Manche Kinney
Rosie Kling
Rich Kluesner
Frank Kriegel
Dan and Deborah Nelson Linck
Kathi McDonald
Susan Price McHaney
Dave Malek
Kevin and Jaime Manche
Steve and Gail Manche
John and Vanessa Mattingly
Mary Lou Miller
Warren Moellenhoff
The Rev. Susan Nanny
Anita Newman
Donna Olson
Patti Peisker
Karen Pic
B. R. Rhoads
Richard Roemerman
Steven and Andrea Rosenblum
Bernice Ruffner
Carolyn Schwaninger
Janet Manche Short
Abigail Ullmann
Marcia Wirth
