Theo's Baptism Day

In July, we decided to schedule the baptism date a safe four weeks past my due date.  It gave me something to look forward to and prepare for!  We set the date for Sunday, October 30, after mass.  My mom was able to fly in to celebrate, and we had several friends and family offer to help prepare and host the party.  The whole day came together beautifully and went perfectly for our precious Theo.

Ryan and I had been praying so fervently about whom God wanted as the godparents for our child, and I specifically prayed that Ryan would be inspired.  Throughout the pregnancy, though, we didn't really talk about it, but God had put the same couple on each of our hearts. Ryan finally told me who he thought should be the godparents, and we asked them about a month before my due date. They generously accepted and have been praying for Theo ever since!

Blessing of salt and placing it on his lips

Blessing of the water

Baptized!  He fussed only a little bit- no big yells, although he did gag after being anointed with chrism!

All of the little boys in attendance gathered around very closely for a close-up of the baptism.  It brings me such joy to see all these little boys welcomed at the church, curious about our faith, and interested in the life of the church.  May they answer "yes!" if God calls them to the priesthood!

His godmother placed him on an altar of the Holy House chapel as we all offered his "first prayer" to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He smelled so wonderful with the scent of blessed chrism oil!

Our family of seven with our beloved pastor, who cares so deeply for his flock!

Father Hough along with Godparents Christina and Josh

Three of the four grandparents made it to Theo's baptism!

Part of our big, beautiful extended family!

My contribution to the party was Theo's cake!  It's lovely due to the loving criticism encouragement of my sister! ;-)

The rest of the party food and decor was thanks to these two lovely Grandmas!  We shared lunch at the party: Ryan's smoked brisket, beans, corn, and coleslaw.  Theo's godmother brought the party punch- always beloved by the kids!

Our party hosts Andrea and Charlie, two very amazing friends who generously offered to open their new home to host our giant party.  It was wonderfully liberating for me, newly postpartum, to not have to actually host anything at our home!

Beth's Confirmation

 

May 15, 2016

Dear Beth,
My sweet girl.  There are no fitting words to express how proud I am of you today- truly, how proud of you I am always.  You have always been intelligent and mature, thoughtful and insightful.  You stump me with questions about how our world works and how God is a part of our lives, and you humble me with your loving and forgiving heart.  Your longing to find God's place for you in this world has always impressed me.  I didn't make you that way, your Heavenly Father did.  He called you at a young age to be a witness, to be His.  And you said yes.

You are blessed to be in a faith community that not only supports but encourages you to receive the Sacraments, and as you prepared your mind, heart, and soul for the sacrament of Confirmation, I knew that the Holy Spirit really had called you to this.  You were already His, and now that you've received the gifts of the Spirit, I know He will continue to call you to great things. 

At 9.5 years old, you are the youngest member of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter to be confirmed.  I believe your enthusiasm for the graces this sacrament will no doubt pave the way for other young girls and boys to be confirmed in their faith!  We believe that you've received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit- piety, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, fear of the Lord, counsel, and fortitude- and what else does our world need more right now?  You understand what it means to be a soldier for Christ as we spoke at length about this during your preparations.  You know the world needs Christ, though thankfully your innocence prevents you from knowing just how badly our world needs Him.  Your understanding will grow and change as you get older, but those holy gifts, this indelible mark, will remain with you always.

Daddy and I are filled with joy, our hearts overflow with gratitude to God for giving you to us. We know the Holy Spirit will guide you as you leave childhood behind and enter into adolescence, and for that we are also so very thankful!  We pray that you will seek His guidance and wisdom all the days of your life.

I love you, my precious girl!  

Love, Mommy

Beth's First Holy Communion

On June 22, the feast of Corpus Christi, Beth received the precious Body and Blood of Our Lord for the very first time!  After careful consideration, our pastor decided she was ready for her First Holy Communion, and we planned for a beautiful feast day in which we'd have family and friends in town to help her celebrate.

She received the sacrament of penance just a few days before, so her soul was nice and squeaky clean!

Beth's dress was custom-made from an etsy shop and her veil is from Veils by Lily.  She wore her first pair of "high heels" that she picked out and absolutely adores!

 After reading and research, Ryan and I opted to have her consume a Vatican-approved low-gluten host, kept separate from the other hosts in her own pyx.  She picked it out herself and we discussed with her how the miniscule amount of gluten in the host (less than .2 parts per million)  kept it licit.  She agreed to go this route for now.  If we ever think that her host could be making her sick, we will re-evaluate and see if maybe she should receive Our Lord from only the Precious Blood.

We had just a small gathering of friends at mass and at our home afterward to celebrate.  We had brunch prepared for everyone ahead of time, and of course had yummy cake and white punch.  Everyone loved the punch and asked for the recipe, so here it is!

The man of the house offered a prayer for her, and Beth also received some sweet gifts from her treasured friends and family members: a prayer book, a rosary, a crucifix, a James Avery necklace, and a book about her favorite saint.  We are so proud of her and so happy that she was finally able to receive Him, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.