Baby Shower in Historic Neff Barn..

I grew up in the City of Whittier but my family lived in an unincorporated area which was sandwiched between the City of La Mirada so that is most likely why our area was part of the Norwalk-La Mirada School District and not a school district in Whitter. Growing up I spent more time in La Mirada and even worked for the City of La Mirada while attending my local junior College. 

 One of my jobs was working at Neff Park where the founding family's Ranch was located in the City of La Mirada.  The Neff Barn was owned by the McNally's {of Map Rand-McNally fame} they lived in the Big House and during the weekends you could take tours of the Grand House. 

When I was working on the weekends I had the key to the "Big" house {as seen above} because  weddings would take place in the Gazebo and then the reception would be in the barn.  I can remember one time I went there at night  with my boyfriend {now Mr. Incredible} to show him the house.  We pretended like it was haunted and tried to picture us living there if we owned the place or thinking back in time what our town would of been like way back then. Sometimes we used to make out on the front porch...shhhhh don't tell on us.  Mr. Incredible grew up in a house less than a block away and went to elementary school which is next door to the park. 

 Not only that when he moved to the next street over {finally moving out of his family's house,  I practically was living with him I stayed over at his house so much his roommates wanted to charge me rent.  But one, summer day while I was working at Neff Park doing the Summer Day Care he drove up in my convertible VW and had loaded up all my belongings and broke up with me right then and there. I won't go into the details of why...let's just say I was not the only girl in his life at the time.  So we as a couple  have a lot of history of good ol' Neff Park. 

  {here is the backside of the barn facing the park, and in the background is the caretaker's cottage}

                          Isn't she charming?  I think so..I'd love to live there!

This past weekend we revisted the Neff barn where we held a Turtle themed/Barnish Baby shower for my BFF's Daughter, Jessica.  Since it is in a RED BARN I thought it would be neat to have a bit of a rustic feel to the decor, after all it is taking place in the barn, the shower not the birth!   Valley View Farms dairy that was so part of this area's history existed for along time, they closed a few years back.  I can remember the smell of the dairy when we drove past the dairy.

                                {old milk jugs from Valley View Farms}

   Old pictures of the farm hands..along time ago...McNally Ranch

We used some burlap as table runner and milk jugs for the Flower vases.  The Mommy~to~Be wanted use Chocolate brown and Lime Green along with Turtles....

Fairy Godmother Flora {Monica, my BFF since I was 5}..made the Turtle Fruit Salad bowl...is it not the cutest thing?

                                    {Fairy Godmother Flora with her neice}

The cute baby clothesline....yep she is having a boy!

Fairy Godmother Fauna on the right....with my BESTie from High School, we both worked at the Neff Barn at the same time that I did.

  Good Friends and daughters..with their mothers....young and old mingling.

Recipes being shared as they were requested by the whole group..

The Mother~to~be with her cousin reading all the advice the older mother's have for her....

From Left to right.. Mimi {grandmother~to~be} Flora, Mother~to~be, Fauna and Merryweather.  What a great time we had planning and celebrating the new life coming into the world in December!!!  Good Luck Jessica..WE LOVE YOU!!!

Comments

[Tracy Shaffer]

Wow! Thanks for posting this. I grew up in the shadow of the Neff House, went to "charm school" there, took ceramics classes in the basement and did my first play in The Barn. I remember when the caretakers lived in the house and the animals in the barn, before the park expansion. Was really great to see all of this.

[Jessica Ferris]

I DID see this post! I remember seeing the picture of the turtle salad. Seems like forever ago! It was such a great memory, with such amazing people!! love you fairy godmother!

[Vt]

The turtle salad caught my attention. :D