Looking Back: November {Eloise's Dedication}

This event was too important to lump into the big November post.  On November 2, we joined our families and church family in dedicating Eloise to the Lord.  I know that I talk a lot about how important our church is to us, and moments like this is really hits.  It's incredible to me to think about how in this sacred space I have been baptized, married, ordained as a deacon, and dedicated both of my children's lives.  That's a lot of sacred ritual for one place and one body.

Eloise means healthy and Ann means grace.  Her life so far has been an incredible testament to both those meanings.  She has brought so much healing and redemption for me as a mother to experience all things typical and healthy and whole.  If that's not grace, I don't know what is.  

Here's what I wrote to Dr. Bob when he asked to hear a little about Eloise and our hopes for her: 

"Eloise has been a great joy for us, especially given the difficult start we had with Clara.  This taste of "normal" has been very redemptive and healing for us all.  She is truly the happiest baby that I have ever known, content to be held and talked to by anyone.  She is flexible and easy-going and so laid back.  We are blessed by her sweet and gentle spirit.  We love squishing her rolls, hearing her laugh, and seeing her whole face light up with smiles.  It has been an enormous joy to watch Clara love on her little sister and to see their sisterly relationship already begin to blossom into something that we hope they will both always treasure.  We hope that Eloise will always know how much she was prayed for and desired, how special she is, and how deeply we adore her.  Her very presence reminds us of God's grace and love.  We hope that she will grow to learn that God's love is the greatest gift to any of us and that she'll love others well because of it."  

We were so thankful that all four of her grandparents, all four of her aunts and uncles, and all four of her cousins were with us to celebrate this sacred day.  We were also especially thankful that Ken Meyers, our associate pastor was able to be a part of the service.  He retired soon after, but since he did Robert's and my pre-marital counseling, helped marry us, and dedicated Clara, he has felt like an especially significant part of our young family's beginnings.  He will be deeply missed.  The rest of our church family all stood with us and promised to help us raise Eloise in the church, to teach her the stories of our faith, to show her Jesus' love, and to pray for and wait for the day that she might accept Jesus and join us in baptism and communion.  

Eloise smiled and gazed at the congregation throughout the dedication.  She was her normal happy, alert, social self and it was fun to share her with the folks who will play a special role in her upbringing.  They did a really lovely job of including Clara in the service, too.  She was presented with a special KBC teddy bear and joined us up front. For Eloise, we got a Bible and a certificate.  Many many thanks to Stephen Ball for the photos of the service.  

Eloise wore the same dress that Clara wore to be dedicated in, a gift from their great-great Aunt Shirley and Uncle Cedric.  This bonnet was mine.

After the service, Aunt Trina helped put together an absolutely beautiful and delicious lunch for our families.  I am so grateful for her hospitality!

Thanks be to God.

Mama Wore That: Easter 2013

We came home from the beach just in time for Easter Sunday.  After spending many months in quarantine sequestration hibernation the comfort of our home during cold and flu season in order to help protect Clara from catching something really nasty that might wind us back up in the hospital, we were delighted to come out of hiding on Easter Sunday.  We had missed our church family so deeply and it was like a homecoming to be back among them again.

Fate (a wicked, spiteful, mean, hateful kind of fate) would have it that on Easter morning my camera died on me.  Kaputz.  At the time I thought maybe it was a battery or something I would be able to easily fix later, but as it turns out the fix was an unexpected upgrade to a new body (Camera body, that is.  Still have the same ole post-pregnancy body I've been toting around the past two years, sadly).  All that to say, these photos were taken on my phone, with the exception of the church ones who were taken by a church member who ministers to us all in a beautiful way through capturing images of the life of our church.  I was extra grateful for Stephen Ball since I didn't get any shots of my own of Clara in this outfit (the first five photos are his, the rest are from my phone...):

So, the dress is new.  It was handmade by Aunt Wendi and given to Clara for her birthday and it is precious and beautiful and dear.  The coat and bonnet were mine though and I wore them (we think) in 1982.  I forgot to ask my mom to look and see if she could find any photos of me in it, so you'll have to just take my word for it. My "Grandma" (paternal grandmother) bought it for me and even though it's a little dated, it's also totally timeless and I adore it.  Clara looked perfect.

That look says: "All these months, you've been keeping me from church.... you didn't tell me there were DOUGHNUTS!"

 back in Sunday School and church with her buddies...

She slept so late that morning (post-beach trip exhaustion) that we didn't have a chance to open her Easter basket until after lunch and nap that day.

She went straight for the eggs, opened one, and then looked sadly at us and said, "No candy?!"
So, I need to know WHO TOLD THIS CHILD THAT EASTER EGGS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE CANDY?!  I thought I could slip by at least one more year without participating in that holy and sacred ritual.  I was wrong.  Robert quickly went rummaging through the pantry to see what he could find to slip into her eggs....

 The rest of the (candy free) basket appeared to be acceptable to her.

Lest we skip over the real meaning of Easter, let me say again that one way that Easter has changed for me is imagining a bit more clearly the pain that Mary felt when her son was crucified.  I can't say I know or understand what that was like at all, because we didn't have to watch our child die.  But we imagined it more vividly than we ever expected to and are thankful for the gift of life and resurrection in new and powerful ways because of it.  It was hard this year to think about how to reduce the Easter story for a barely two-year old.  How do you explain that complex and radical theology in any way that can begin to make sense for such a young child? And if the answer is "you can't," then how do you not gloss over the real meaning of a day that is most central to our understanding of faith and life?  Y'all - Christmas is easier.  Bring on the baby in a manger and some angels and shepherds, please.

What I found myself saying (and I know that even this is too complicated for a two year old who cannot yet handle metaphor or abstract thought, but it was the best I could do) to Clara was, "Thank you God that Jesus now lives in our hearts."  Can I get an Amen?