So many blessings...

Mary Louise and David had their official blessing in church today. Father Jack recounted their actual baptism (the service today was a baptismal service - but without the water) where he dropped a tiny drop of water through an eye dropper on each of our 3 little ones' foreheads just after they were born. We were all petrified. I was devastated...

Today was absolutely beautiful. Mary Louise wore Auntie Zoo's baptism gown and looked as if she belonged in a 1920's Victorian style photo. David wore Brent's gown and, though his dear dad was none too pleased at the feminine implications of his boy wearing a (uhem) dress and bonnet, he looked perfectly angelic in Ma Mere's gorgeous handiwork.

The service (amazing) was followed by a fabulous reception and birthday celebration complete with a surprise table of gifts and cards and too much food and cake to devour.

After my dad passed away so suddenly in October of 2007, Brent really started to encourage me to turn to the church for support. At the time, I'd been frequenting a different location and though I enjoyed the traditional flow of the service, I felt like I was missing something there - for lack of a better and I'm sure much longer explanation. To poke me along- as I'd become rather ambivalent in my personal crisis- Brent went with me, and one day suggested we try our current church. I walked in, smelled the familiar wood wax, incense, just old church smell, saw an old friend, and was home. That was it, just that moment, just those few steps through the door. The decision was made. We spoke to Father Jack quite often, but really sort of came and went rather quietly otherwise.

When I started having trouble with the pregnancy, I'd never seen a parish so ready with a helping hand. It didn't matter that we weren't born here, didn't grow up here, were just that couple in the back most of the time. They became an extension of our family. Immediately. As if they'd always been there. We've had so many cards, visits, meals cooked and quietly dropped off, and the prayers, my goodness, we'll never know all who sent happy thoughts, healing words and prayers our way...all with such intense and insistent compassion.

To our church family. You have made such a difference, such an impression, such a beautiful mark on our family. To put it simply, heartfelt, honest, soulful: thank you.

xo,
Heather

The following is quite a mix of photos and videos. I didn't quite realize how much I'd been slacking on the uploads...

Birthday and Kuylen's Special Day