McKenna's Baby Blessing

McKenna with her Grandma Jan. We are so happy she could be there for the special day.

McKenna all beautiful, dressed and ready to head to church for her first Sunday in the Alpine 7th ward. We snuck her to church two weeks ago for Baby Benny's blessing. We couldn't miss that!

We decided to bless McKenna in church last Sunday because Tim's mom could be there. She had to miss Quinn's blessing, and we didn't want to do that again. So, even though our nugget is really young, we went for it.

A baby blessing is an LDS tradition where a man, usually the father, takes the infant in front of the congregation and uses the laying on of hands to give the baby blessing (usually its first blessing) and to declare what name the child will be known by in life and on the records of the church. We don't baptise children until they are 8 years old, which is considered the age of accountability, so a blessing is a way to make the child a part of the congregation without a baptism.

It's a simple but beautiful event. It is a really neat bonding experience for the daddy's, I suppose. At least I know it is for my husband. I get all the credit and the gifts and the praise about our new babies, but the blessing day is sort of about the father's role in the child's life. It is also a time to gather togther all the men in the baby's life that will be examples in the church for them. All the men stand in a circle with their hands holding the baby, and together they use the priesthood power to give the blessing. Very cool.

Our circle got smaller this time around, but the love was just as strong as we have grown to love those special men in our life even more since 2 years ago.

McKenna wore a very old dress. It has been worn at least 3 times now and maybe 4. I wore it when I was baptised as a catholic as a baby, and now both my girls have worn it for their baby blessing. My sister may have worn it too for her baptism, but I am not sure about that. It is getting old and yellow, but it means a lot to me. I just accent the outfit with off white accesories, and I don't even notice the fading white.

At church with us on Sunday morning we had our best friends Lindsay and Brandon Purdie representing all our friends (lots were out of town because of the holiday), and we had Aunt Sue, Uncle Mike and their kids plus Audrey and Eddy with Nico representing all our family. It was really special. Then at 5 p.m. we had a BBQ with lots of other friends and family. Tim served up hamburgers and hotdogs on his new grill, and we had a big ice cream cake to celebrate Tim's birthday, which was also on Sunday.

I took the special occation as an excuse to finally put up a picture of my two girls together. Congratulations to me! That could have taken months.

McKenna started to fuss a little right before Tim put her to the front for the blessing. I think we both got scared, but he must of turned on the magic because I did not hear a word from her.

I don't remember a ton from the blessing, but I do remember Tim blessing McKenna with the ability to quickly in her life feel the love of the people around her and then return that love to others so that through her they can come to know the love of Christ. I thought that was especially beautiful and exactly what I wish for my children.

Welcome to our family and our Church, angel baby McKenna!

A Few more pics of Averykens on her special day. More to come later.