Sarah's Baby Blessing

This post is to my sweet Sarah. I am writing to you today and hope that you will always know that you are loved and cherished beyond measure and a direct answer to prayer. You were blessed on Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. It was a perfect morning. It was almost as if you new something special was happening. You were cooing and smiling and as happy as I have ever seen you. You were perfect during the blessing. Daddy said they didn't even have to bounce you (which is pretty common in most blessings, just to keep the baby calm). Daddy gave you the most beautiful blessing. He blessed you to know your Savior Jesus Christ personally. To recognize and listen to the Holy Ghost. He blessed you with a love and understanding of the scriptures, to come to know and rely on them and to come to know Jesus Christ through them. He blessed you to have the blessing of baptism, a mission if that is the course you should decide to take and to be married in the temple. He blessed you to have virtue above degradation. He blessed you to follow the example of your mother and to be set apart from the evils of this world. That is what I can remember in good detail of the blessing. I know that the importance of the blessing is the spirit that is felt and the spirit was strong and I couldn't have been happier with the blessing bestowed upon you. I want you to know that your Father is worthy of the priesthood and prepared for your special day with much prayer and thought. He reflected deeply about what he would want for you, but he said when it came time for the blessing the Spirit took over and he felt peaceful about what he blessed you with. Your Dad is the greatest example to me and for you and Ethan to look toward on your road to excellence and I love him with all my heart. Sarah, you are an added joy to our home and have brought us such happiness and peace. We love you and know that great things are ahead for you in your life and we are honored to be your parents. We love you! Here is a look at your special day. Here you are right before we left for church. You are beautiful!This is you right before we walked out the door to go to Church. You are breathtaking!

Here is the full view of your beautiful dress. It has flowers embroidered on it and a lace edge at the bottom. The next two pictures are cute little face shots. I love that face!
Here is you and Ethan. I just can't help but think that you are going to be best friends.

This is mommy and you right before we walked out the door to church.
This is our four generations picture. You, Mommy, Grandma McCormack, and Grandma Anderson whom you are named after.

Lisa also wanted a four generation picture. Abby, Lisa, Grandma McCormack, and Grandma Anderson. I have to admit Abby stole the show with this shot. She is too cute!!!

Daddy took this picture of Mommy and you. I couldn't have been happier. You were simply beautiful and I loved your dress so much. I wanted you to stay in it all day long.

Grandpa Parkin, Grandma Parkin, and Daddy. I couldn't ask for better in-laws. I love them with all my heart and they are the most generous, spiritual, and loving grandparents and parents. We love you Mom and Dad! Thank you for everything you do for us.

Grandpa Parkin, Grandma Parkin, You, Daddy, and Mommy.

This was the best family picture we could get that day. Ethan is at the stage that he doesn't love to get his picture taken and we have to beg him to smile, so here is our little family on your very special day.

Daddy, Grandpa McCormack, You, Grandma McCormack, and Mommy. Oh how I love my Mom and Dad. If I can just give my children the love, respect, security, and all the blessings of a happy home as my parents gave me, well then I will be a successful parent. I love you Mom and Dad and could never thank you enough for the life you gave to me.
Great Grandpa Anderson, Great Grandma Anderson, and you. You are so blessed to have your great grandparents in your life. If I could tell you anything about these two great people I would tell you that they shaped the family we have today. They are loving, kind, and they love their children and grandchildren regardless of what they have said or done. They are righteous and true. They are exactly who you can look to for a beacon and guide for your future. I love them and I couldn't have asked for better grandparents.
Well this was your special day and it couldn't have been more perfect. Everyone was so supportive and you were an absolute angel. We love you, our sweet Sarah and look forward to what the future holds.

Happy 30th Sweetheart!

In light of Matt turning 30 today I would like to tell you the thirty reasons why I fell in love with him then and why I am still in love with him today.

1. I always said when I met someone who I considered the nicest person I had ever met I would marry them...and that is you.
2. I have never met anyone in my life that can make me laugh like you do.
3. When you tell a story no one can take their eyes off of you. eg. Silver back gorilla with red eyes, or old salty just to name a couple.
4. I love that when we started dating, you let me know three weeks after our first date that you had every intention of marrying me. (no beating around the bush there and I love that about you...scared me at the time, but I love it now).
5. I love that you can make any situation a comfortable one.
6 I love that when you give a priesthood blessing you always put on a white shirt, tie, slacks, and even put on your church shoes. There is something really honorable about someone who honors the priesthood like that.
7. I love that regardless of how tired you are, your family always comes first.
8. I love that you love your parents so much. You look to them for support, guidance, and you honestly like them.
9. I love that you love to play hand and foot, so much that you would make a trip to St. George just to get a good game going.
10. I love that every Saturday morning you can't wait to cuddle with Ethan and watch cartoons.
11. I love that when you come home at night the very first thing you do is kiss me hello and then the kids get their kisses and hugs.
12. I love that you always have a hunger for knowledge. Every book looks interesting to you and you are always reading.
13. Even though I tease you about it, I love that you still read your college text books for leisure. There is something really refreshing about someone actually enjoying their degree and never wanting to forget what they have learned.
14. I love that your spiritual insight always makes me want to strive harder and study deeper.
15. I love that you love going to work and truly enjoy your employment.
16. I love that you will hold me, kiss me, and make a fuss over me, any place, anytime, anywhere.
17. I love, love, love that you will rub my feet every night if I asked you to.
18. I love that you don't have a selfish bone in your body. Truly you would give the shirt off your back if it was asked of you.
19. I love that you love to laugh. You always keep our home lighthearted and a fun place to be.
20. I love that you take being a Patriarch very seriously. When it comes to caring for your family spiritually you think and feel very deeply about it.
21. I love that every night you read to Ethan and sing to him from the hymn book.
22. I love that you can't wait to play cars with Ethan as much as he can't wait to play cars with you. I hope I never forget the sounds and the voices you both give to the cars, it's quiet the show.
23. I love that I have never seen you lose your temper or raise your voice.
24. I love your loyalty. I love that once someone is your friend, that is it, they are your friend for life.
25. I love your devotion to extended family. The way you talk about them and long to be with them is very comforting to me.
26. I love that you make me feel like I am the best cook, mother, and housewife. You are always praising me and it makes everything I do worth it.
27. I love that you love your children so much. I love that you can't wait to hold Sarah and take your turn for the cuddle time. I love the Ethan is your "buddy" and that he wants to go everywhere with you.
28. I love that you talk about your mission so often and that you truly look at it as the mold for your life.
29. I love that you are the smartest person I know (and that is no joke), that you are the funniest person I know by far and that your character mean more to you than anything else.
30. Most of all I love you. I love everything about you, even your little quirky habits. I love that your brilliant, yet so approachable. I love that your kindness is unmatched. I love that your dedication to the Lord is first and foremost. I love that you would rather stay home with our little family than do anything else. I love that you are you! I love you sweetheart. Happy 30th and I hope it was a fun day and that you know that you are my world and my everything. Happy Birthday!

VOTE YES ON PROP 8 IN CALIFORNIA!!

I have been contacted by my sister in law in California about Prop 8 for the voters in California. I have many friends who live in California and could be a part of the voting in November. I urge you to get registered by the cut off date of October 20th and get to the polling stations to vote YES on Prop 8. For those of you who don't live in California, but know people who do please contact them about this proposition. The church had a special broadcast regarding this issue and has urged everyone to get out and vote. This proposition is to define marriage as between a man and a woman. It does not take anything away from gay couples, they still have all the same rights as a married couple. This is to protect the sacred nature of marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman, just as it was with Adam and Eve. If you would like to know more about Prop 8 go to protectmarriage.com and you can read more about the issues involved. I applaud all of you who are walking door to door and are involved in the thick of things in California. What a terribly difficult thing to do, but standing for something that is core to your beliefs takes strength and usually is hard, so way to go! VOTE YES ON PROP 8!

Six Quirky Things About Me

Six Quirky Things About Me:
Kamie Barrus tagged me with this one.

1. I loooove...I Love Lucy! I have all 9 seasons and I watch it when I am folding clothes, when there is nothing else on, or if I can't go to sleep, it is like a gentle lullaby for me. I think she is funny, but mostly I love the time period and the clothes (if only we could wear beautiful dresses everyday and hats and gloves). Also it doesn't hurt that Ethan loves her too. As soon as the music comes on he comes running from where ever he is and yells, "Are we watching Lucy Mommy?" I have to admit that I love that he loves it too and Matt thinks I have corrupted our child, but I think his future wife will love it!

2. When I read my scriptures it doesn't matter if I have studied for two hours and had a great spiritual experience, if I haven't read a whole chapter I have to read a chapter before I can put the Book of Mormon down. I know it's weird, but when I was 16 Brother Allison asked me to read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon everyday and I told him I would and now it's just habit. To be honest I always feel like I owe Brother Allison so much for helping me to see how much I truly love the scriptures and how much they have changed my life for the better. Thanks Brother A!

3. I love my little house. My house is I believe 850 square feet. For a long time I thought it was 900 square feet, but I have been corrected too many times, so I will go with the 850. After Matt graduated everyone kept asking us when we were going to move from our 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house, we were a little confused and would say move? maybe never...we love our house. It is old and has a million things that still need to be fixed, (especially the outside we haven't even begun to champion that one yet), but we still love our old house. I love that I can stand in the kitchen and see every room in the house. I love that I live on the same street as my sister and that Ethan sees his cousin's nearly everyday. I love that when I pay my house payment it doesn't break the bank. I love my old house and I hope to be here many more years.

4. I want to get a degree in finance or accounting. I love working with numbers. Since I was about 20 I have logged nearly every penny I have spent. I love the budget I created and I love to play with our money to get the top dollar in an investment or stretch a dollar as far as it can go. I would also like to take classes in photography. I would love to go on a long road trip just to get a great picture. I would love to know how to develop my own pictures and hang them all around the house. I never want to stop learning and growing.

5. I can't relax if there is a cupboard or drawer open. I am a little OCD about stuff like that and sadly Ethan has followed suit. If I am putting dishes away I have to close the doors as I go, where as Matt will leave them all open until he is done. Just a quirky little thing, but it just makes me think everything looks a little more tidy when they are shut. I won't even begin to mention all my other OCD challenges, let's just pretend it is only this one little issue.

6. I love to cuddle and I love it just as much now as I did five years ago, when we got married. I remember when I got married everyone told me that we would only cuddle for the first few months and then it would all cool down. I can honestly say that has never happened, and thank goodness, because whenever I am sitting next to Matt I have to be touching him in some way. Whether I am holding his hand, touching his leg, or arm I just have to have some contact. When we watch a movie I can hardly wait to cuddle on the couch and have him hold me. When we go to bed at night he always holds me until we fall asleep. There is nothing better than a good cuddle and luckily, my husband is good enough to let me snuggle up anytime, anywhere. As cheesy as it may sound I love him more now than I did then and every minute I spend with him, is better than the last...he truly is my everything. Also it doesn't hurt that both of my kids love to cuddle up too. Life just couldn't be better. I say kiss them and hold them as much as you can now and cherish every minute they want to be held...because who knows how long it will last.

Well I did it, now I tag, Stacey Myers, Corinda, Julie, and Cassie.

Where does the time go?

Can she really be 6 weeks old? The past 6 weeks have just flown by and already memories are being made and our little family brings us more than joy then we could express. Here is a little view of Sarah developing over the past 6 weeks at home. Below is Sarah in her bassinet.

I love this outfit on her...thanks Shell!

Sarah enjoying a little music time, we are hoping with a little encouragement she will be the next Linda Eder or Sarah Brightman.

Sarah relaxing in the swing while Ethan and I made cookies. No you don't have to read that twice, I really did make sugar cookies one Sunday after church...see miracles do happen.

Sarah relaxing on the boppy. I had to put this picture in because it showed the full body view, including those cute feet. Don't you just love little baby feet?

Sarah sleeping with her favorite blanket. She loves the blanket tucked close to her face when she sleeps.

So Matt says to me one night, "Why don't you ever put bows on her head?" Well I told him I didn't have any bows and I needed to go buy some. Well basically I went out and spent $50 and Matt just about died, but now we have the bows needed to announce to the world that Sarah is a girl!

Sarah sleeping peacefully. This is my favorite nightgown that Sarah has. It is so soft and delicate.

Sarah's cute side profile.

Even while she is sleeping she is working out her future.

Here she is just days over a month old. It's amazing to watch how fast they grow.

Just looking cute and wide eyed.

Sleeping peacefully.

Catching Sarah smiling on camera has been a bit of a task, but here she is and her cute little attached tongue.

Just looking thoughtful.

I loved the crisp feeling of this picture. What is she thinking about?

I love dressing Sarah is yellow, green, and blue. This is one of my favorite blue and green outfits. With her eyes, she is breathtaking.

Just had to get one with the big bow. I am not sure what I think about these big bows, but she looked darling.

Starting to show her personality.

Well 7 weeks and this is where we are at now. Big eyes, fully aware of what is going on around her, and getting more beautiful everyday. I love being a mom.

Is this a sign for Ethan's future?

Thursday's between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. couldn't come soon enough at our house. A typical Thursday afternoon, eating lunch at the kitchen table and then the joy comes as soon as we feel the rumble of the waste management truck rolling down Dawson street. Ethan's face immediately lights up and he says, "Mommy, can I see?" We run to Ethan's room and stand at his bedroom window and watch as the garbage truck empties all the trash cans on our street. He is completely satisfied and returns to the kitchen table to finish his lunch. What can I say, he appreciates cleanliness. Check out the smile on that face...I love Thursday's too!

Take a picture of me, mommy!

Any time the camera comes out, Ethan is immediately at my side and asking me to take a picture of him as well, and who could resist taking a picture of this darling face! I love this little boy.

Sleeping Beauty

I guess she just needs a prince and then this picture will be perfect. She looks so comfortable and sweet I just want to cuddle her for hours.

Sunday Fun!

Sunday is one of my favorite days and one of the major reasons is for the simple fact that all your childhood play has now come to life. To be able to dress this beautiful little girl in dresses, bows, bracelets, and delicate shoes...is well, too much fun. This picture makes me laugh because of the way Sarah is looking at me. I would imagine she is thinking something like, "Mom, honestly another picture."I just had to put this picture in for a close up of those eyes. This was Sarah's second week at Church and really I think we might go broke just buying Sunday dresses. This is too great!

One Month and Beautiful!

Well Sarah is one month old and getting more beautiful everyday. Could it be any more fun to have a little girl? I love dressing her in the morning and talking to her about how when she gets older we will do everything together. How she will love musicals, dancing, singing, and anything and everything that involves us being together. Having a little girl is a little piece of heaven, but having a little boy too, just makes it perfect!

First Day Spa Experience and Napping with Dad

First bath and Ethan couldn't wait to help daddy do the job. Sarah wasn't so sure about the whole bath thing at first, but the longer she was in the water, the more she acted like she was at the spa and daddy was her personal attendant. The spa can really take it out of you, so what could be better than napping with Dad after your long day. Don't you love how all babies know that napping is good, but napping in someones arms is just perfect.

Something Wonderful This Way Comes...

Welcome to our beautiful baby Sarah! The day after I wrote my post about our little Sarah wanting to come, she did. She came into our life on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 6:52 p.m. She was 36 weeks and 5 days and was delivered by C-section. She weighed 7 lbs 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. Does that sound like the weight of an early baby! But that face, how cute is that face!

I couldn't believe how alert she was from the moment she was delivered...look at those eyes.

I just want to kiss those cheeks! Don't you love the new baby smell and the sounds they make.

This is right before they wheeled me in for the surgery. Not the best angle for me, but Matt looks cute, so I'll take the hit.

Matt all gowned up for the surgery, thank goodness he was there for me, he makes everything better. To say I was nervous and that I dislike C-sections is an understatement.

Sarah right after delivery. Look at that body, does she look like she could be early?

About an hour after Sarah was born I actually got to hold her. It was very emotional and I couldn't believe how much I loved her at first sight. I was so grateful that she was healthy and there were no complications. We are blessed.

Here is the first family picture. I can't believe we have two now. Ethan just wanted to get on the bed and give me kisses...I was a little nervous with the whole being cut open just an hour earlier. I have a feeling I will be reminding him alot about mommies hurt tummy.

(Matt's entry) This is one of the most classic pictures, Ethan tried every joke in his repertoire . . . but, to no avail, babies really have no sense of humor. Amy and I got back from Applebee's and from the look of things Ethan was noticeably irritated from having to babysit so soon. "Hey buddy, remember who pays the rent," that's what I say. Am I right?

Great Grandma Sally, whom Sarah is named after.

Grandma McCormack or as the grandkids call her Mama. Thanks to my mom who was here everyday last week taking care of Ethan, Sarah, and I. I couldn't have done it without you, I love you mom!

The proud Daddy. From the minute we found out that we were pregnant, Matt wanted a little girl. You have never seen a happier dad.

No one could love her more, well except maybe me.

Sarah and I on Friday. I loved getting her dressed. Thank goodness Matt is graduated and I can spend all the money I want on clothing now.

I love this picture, the way she is looking at me and the idea that she so recently gazed upon heavenly things. Priceless.

Abby taking her turn holding the baby. She was so excited, she couldn't get enough of her.

Britton holding Sarah, Bryson, Ethan, Parker, and Abby. Thanks to Lisa who watched Ethan the entire time I was in the hospital (from Wednesday - Saturday) while Dan was out of town and having 4 children of her own. No one could ask for a more self-less sister. We love you and Ethan of course had a blast! Thank you, we really couldn't have done it without you.

After all is said and done, it now comes down to two. The two people in our lives who have stole our hearts and make every moment special. This is one of those precious moments...I walked into the family room to find Ethan patting Sarah and singing rock-a-bye-baby. He looked up at me and said, "Mommy I am patting baby Sarah." That was the first time he really showed any real interest towards Sarah. At that moment all time slowed down and I realized, there is nothing more wonderful and pure than a child. He was so proud of himself and so aware of Sarah. It gave me a small glimpse into the future and the joy these two will bring to one another's lives. All the pain and everything I went through to get this baby here, was all worth it. These two will be everything to one another and certainly are everything to Matt and I. We love you, Ethan and Sarah.

Thanks to everyone who has helped during the pregnacy and the birth. We love you all!