Dedication Day

This year we had an extra special Valentine's Day!!  We had Beau's baby dedication!  I just can't even describe how much I loved this day.  Beau has just blessed our family in ways I NEVER ever expected, and to celebrate his life today was beautiful.  We started the morning off getting dressed in a sweet outit that my little brother Kyle once wore :)  Absolutely precious!!

You will never find 2 big brothers who love there baby brother more than Blake and Evan.  We had to take MANY versions of this picture because they both wanted to be "holding" him :)

During the Sunday morning service we did the "rose bud" dedication.  This was basically just a chance to show Beau off!  Brother Ronnie prayed for our family and gave us a letter to give to Beau on the day that he accepts Christ as his Savior!  I put it in his baby book (please let it stay there until so I can find it on that special day :) 

A sweet pic of Beau and Nonnie!

We had LOTS of family there...Granny, Nana, PaPa, Nonnie, Poppy, and Aunt Amy.  The service was extra special because it was about marriage and then at the end a couple sang the song "I Will Be Here".  That song was sung at Travis and I's wedding and I just sat there and bawled like a baby!  I took me back to our wedding day...and realizing just how far we have come together is amazing.  I truly love Travis way more today than I did the day we were married!!!

After the service everyone came over to our house.  I really love this picture of all of us!

A little out of order, but a pic of Beau and I at church!

We all had "Valentine's" lunch.  Blake, Evan, and I sat at the "kid's" table.  On days like this I wish I had a big dining room that could seat 20!!

Beau looked ready to reach out and grab some food!

Later in the afternoon we went back to church for a private dedication ceremony.  I love my church, but this day has made me SO VERY thankful for an AMAZING church that does everything posible to support and encourage families.  This service was just amazing.  It was just our family and our pastor.  Travis and I took communion and Brother Ronnie talked to us about our role as parents and Travis's role as the spiritual leader of our family.  He gave us a New Testament for Beau and challenged us to start reading to him now. 

Then we took Beau and laid him on the alter.  It was a symbol of giving him back to God and our commitment to raise him to know and love God.  Let me tell you, I SOBBED.  It just took my breath away.  There is something very beautiful and VERY moving about seeing your baby laying on an alter.  We are SO blessed to have him in our lives!!!

Afterwards we took some family pictures.  And yes, there is a child missing!  Evan got his feelings hurt because he didn't get to take the Lord's Supper during the ceremony (it wasn't just him, no one else did either except for Travis and I).  So, he refused to get out of the pew and take pictures.  I just didn't have it in me to fight him at the time, so here is our family picture~ minus a member.  We did later go over to the pew and stand around Evan so that we could have a picture of all of us, but me and my amazing computer skills managed to erase it off my camera.  (Thankfully Poppy thinks he can retrieve it, he's working on it).

A picture with Brother Ronnie, the most amazing pastor in the world!!

I am so very thankful for this day!  I know I say it all the time, but Beau has truly changed me and our family.  His little life has already made such an impact, and I know that Beau is going to do big things with his life.  I just can't wait to watch it unfold...