It isn't very often that I wake up early enough to see the sunrise, and if I do, it isn't by choice, so I don't especially enjoy it. Before I had children, I used to love mornings, but now...?? Let's just say that waking up isn't my favorite thing to do, especially when I am up a few times during the night with a baby. So this morning, I woke up to my crying baby, and children needing things, and I was grudgingly going about getting breakfast going and shuffling around the house in my robe and slippers feeling pretty sorry for myself of how tired I still was. Then Emilie opened the blinds. The sun was just starting to peak over the mountains, and the sky was a beautiful pink, blue and gold that made the whole earth have a pink glow. It was a crisp fall morning, and so quiet and still. I just had to seize the moment. Being the picture freak that we all know that I am, I grabbed my camera to try to capture the moment. "Try" was the key word - the pictures don't do it justice, but I'm going to post them anyways as a reminder to myself. However, I not only seized the moment with my camera, but I took the time to pause from the morning routine and reflect on the beautiful things of life. I, for one, am a bit nervous of what our future holds (OK, more like terrified!), and all the commotion that surrounds us in the world. It seems that there is very little of "peacefulness" (is that a word?) in our lives, but that moment this morning was one of those peaceful moments that Heavenly Father sends us to help us remember that He is still there. I decided to let go of my bad attitude, and look forward to the events of the day with optimism. Yes, ALL the events - even the cleaning bathrooms, laundry, making dinner, and getting all the Halloween costumes on and off and on and off and on again. I am so grateful for little reminders of all that is good in life, like beautiful sunrises!
The picture below was taken last Sunday at Desmonds blessing. We're missing one of the babies, but here are the rest. Starting on the right, Kamden, Kameron, Desmond, Ryan. Aren't they sweet???
When I was looking at this picture, I started thinking about what it must have been like for them in Heaven before they came. I'm sure that they were all good friends. They must have encouraged one another, and cheered one another on as they came to earth just one at a time. I'm sure that their farewells were sweet. I can imagine little Desmond being the last of the group. The others encouraging him that they were just sure that we wouldn't leave him behind....not for long anyways. And yu know, we had no idea that Desmond was going to be part of our family. It wasn't until we knew that these other sweet spirits were on their way, that we felt the prompting that there was one more little person who needed to be with us. Perhaps his cousins were helping to give us a little nudge??? I also imagine these spirits in Heaven promising each other that they would look after each other here on earth. That they would stick together and help each other to succeed, to return to Heavenly Father some day. After all, isn't that what friends would want for each other? Just a thought. Perhaps just my imagination...but maybe not!So I hope and pray that this is exactly what will happen. I hope that these little friends will be a good example to each other. That they'll help each other to succeed. That they'll pull each other up, not down. They are all so different, but they're all so much the same too! They have come to join an extended family that loves tradition, and loves to spend time together. They are all loved by their parents, their grandparents, their cousins, their aunts and uncles, their brothers and sisters, and most of all, by their Heavenly Father! And I hope that they will never ever forget that!
Emi got to share her baptism day with her new baby cousin (Desmond) blessing. That made it extra special. This picture is baby Desmond with his siblings, and Emilies two brothers.
September 27 was one of the most special days Emilie will have in her life. At the tender age of eight, she was baptised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and then received the special gift of having the Holy Ghost with her to help her. As a mom, it is such a comfort to me to know that even though I can't be by her side every second of every day to help her make right decisions and comfort her in times of need, the Holy Ghost will be. I know that she won't remember very much of this day, so I want to write my thoughts about it for her. It was a very beautiful, warm day. She was so excited, she could hardly wait until 11:00, so she could go to the church and get dressed up. Before we left, we had a special family home evening, where we talked about what the Holy Ghost will feel like to her. I gave her a special "comforter" blanket that I had made for her. We talked to her about how the comforter makes her feel warm, and safe, and how another name for the Holy Ghost is also "The Comforter", for the same reasons. I think she loved her blanket, she has wrapped it around her and slept with it ever since. 
The special comforter I made for Emilie.
