Our Baby's Blessing

Thanksgiving weekend was a busy weekend for our family. Thanksgiving was a little different this year. I always cook the big meal at our house, because I love to cook and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and nothing warms my heart more than to have my little family gathered around our table for a traditional meal. But this year we ate dinner with Jason's family and it was nice. We also attended my nephew Laney's baptism. Laney is a wonderful boy and we were so proud of his choice to be baptized.

And finally, on Sunday we blessed Kellan. It was the perfect end to a fantastic weekend. The weather was less than perfect however. It had snowed so much that several of our family and friends from out of town weren't able to make it, but they all sent their love and we greatly appreciated their thoughtfulness. My dad braved the storms and icy roads and made it home for the events. I knew it would take a lot more than poor road conditions to keep him from this special weekend in two of his grandson's lives. Sunday morning as the snow really started to accumulate and I had heard of several wards being cancelled I feared ours would too. Thankfully ours was not cancelled.

I think Kellan would have been content to sleep right through everything. I didn't want to get him dressed until it was time to leave, because babies and white are a dangerous combination! So he stretched and wiggled while I got him ready on the couch.

I was grateful Kellan is a sound sleeper. He slept right through all my fussing over him. Slept through the car ride to the church. Slept through the blessing. Slept through the entire sacrament meeting. And slept through most of the luncheon at our home after.

Because Kellan was asleep and as I mentioned I didn't dress him until it was literally time to get in the car we didn't take any pictures of him all dressed until after the day was over.

Such a smiley sweet little man!

I had looked all over for a little tux just like the one Jase wore when he was blessed, but could not find what I wanted. In the end I decided to ask Jase if it would be all right with him if Kellan wore his blessing outfit. Boy if this didn't please Jase! He was so proud that his little brother wore his tux. It was very sweet. And it was a good thing we didn't wait any longer than we did to bless Kellan or Jase's tux would not have fit. As it was the top was an inch short. It fit Jase perfectly at 8 weeks. But Kellan at 5 weeks was a close call. My sweet little short Jaser!

Kellan's shoes were also very special. While I was searching for an outfit for Kellan I asked Peggy, Jason's mom, if she still had Jason's blessing outfit. She brought it over and I fell in love with the sweet little satin shoes. Right away I knew they would be a part of Kellan's blessing day. They were a little big on his tiny feet but they added an extra bit of love and tradition to Kellan's outfit. I hope someday Kellan will be able to pass them on to his children.
I love his crazy hair in this picture.

Baby tails. So sweet.

I wanted to get a family picture as soon as we got home from church, because I knew if we didn't we wouldn't get one that day. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough. Before I even got Kellan out of his car seat Kaden and Jase had their suits off. So I had to get them both redressed and brought upstairs for pictures. As you can tell, they were less than cooperative. Oh well something is better than nothing. And in all honesty this is a pretty accurate depiction of our family.

I wish I had gotten a picture of Jason in his suit with Kellan. Jason was dangerously close to stealing the show with his suit that day. Generally Jason doesn't wear a suit, because well to be honest he hasn't gotten a new one since he left on his mission. And that's been....well we'll just say a while ago. So I surprised him with a new suit for the day. I loved having all 5 of my boys in suits. What a lucky woman I am to be surrounded by handsome men all the time!

Jason got a quick pic of Kellan and me before I changed him out of his whites.

That evening we were sitting around and Jase wanted a picture with Kellan. I just happen to be holding him so I made the shot too. I love this picture. Two of my sweet boys. Ok and maybe because I think Jase actually looks a little like me here. He does right? Right?! Come on one of these boys has to at least slightly resemble me.

The blessing that Jason gave Kellan was beautiful. Jason blessed Kellan to be strong and wise. To be strong both in body and in his testimony of the church. And to be wise in all his choices. He blessed him with the desire to fulfill an honorable mission. And one of the most tender blessing he bestowed on Kellan was to marry one of Heavenly Father's choice daughter in the temple. Kellan was blessed to always be a light in our family. Every blessing Jason pronounced on Kellan was truly inspired by the spirit of God. It bore testimony to me the power of the priesthood and spurred my thankfulness for my husband who is a worthy priesthood holder. Having the priesthood in our home is a tremendous comfort to me and something I strive not to take for granted. I look forward to and pray for the day when my home will be full of 5 worthy priesthood holders.

Thanksgiving weekend was without a doubt the perfect time to bless our son. For him I am infinitely grateful. For the peace and contentment I felt from the first moment he was placed in my arms I am thankful for. The space that I had felt that was missing from our family he filled exactly. I am grateful for his light and innocence for it reminds me to be a little more soft, a little more gentle with everyone around me. No earthly words can express the gratitude in my heart for my family. They are everything to me. They humble me, strengthen me and encourage me to be my best self. I am not always the perfect wife or the perfect mother. If given the opportunity there are many things I have done that I would change over and over again. But I wouldn't change where I am in my life now for anything. I am so richly blessed with a husband who not only tells me he loves me, but has proven that love time and time again. He is the embodiment of a help meet and my eternal companion. My 4 sons, Kaden, Jase, Ethan and Kellan are the lights of my life. They are my greatest accomplishments and dearest blessings. Mothers often worry how they will love a second child as much as they love their first. After four I can testify that love is without end. A mother's heart's ability to grow to encompass all of her children is a divine gift from a Heavenly Father that understands the limitless power of love.