Today Alexander and Charles were dedicated at Gateway Church. Our dear friends Elizabeth and Phillip Perez came to be by our side and pray over us and our kids. It was such a special time. Never mind all the screaming from my kids. They did not like sitting still, but then again, not many 21 month old kids do a good job of sitting still for more than 2 minutes.
We managed though and we didn’t have to leave the auditorium because we were too disruptive. Today was definitely not the day to take away the pacifiers. (They will be permanently gone before their 2nd birthday though!) Notice that Charlie was holding a toy truck in every photo. We couldn’t get it out of his grip without a meltdown, so the truck remained in his grasp…ALL DAY LONG. Oh well, I was grateful that the church was filled with lots of families with babies and small children, so there was no shortage of noise. Phillip was helpful in chasing the twins down before the ceremony began. After we were up front I handed Charlie to Elizabeth (who had been just about unbearable in his quest to get down and play) and he instantly was silenced and calmed in Elizabeth’s arms. It was amazing. She was the ‘toddler whisperer’ today for us! We are thankful for Elizabeth and Phillip. They are neighbors, good friends, and they too attend Gateway Church. Elisabeth and I attend the same bible study too! They have been a blessing in our lives with their friendship and example of how to raise kids. They are a great Godly example of how to do things right with your children! Justin and I were honored to have them there with us today to share in our special memory. Elizabeth shared the sweetest posting this evening on Facebook. I thought I would share it here. It gives you a glimpse of her and our friendship; as she is a kind, sweet, caring, and thoughtful person.
Taylor, our Nanny was there today too. She cares for the kids part time. I wish I could have her full time, but she is already a full time grad student. Smart, beautiful, and sweet! She will be a great wife for some lucky guy someday. Today, it wouldn’t have been the same without her there. She has been with us since before the twins were born. She is like a second mom to my kids. Brielle is always saying “I love Miss Taylor”. She is amazing and a blessing to our family. Not many can handle all three of my kids at once. She does it with no problem or a blink of an eye. She handles them beautifully. Even while waiting to check in today for the dedication ceremony, we were all with the kids, I missed the fact that Brielle was tormenting Alex. All of a sudden I heard Taylor correcting Brielle letting her know it was not ok to touch Alex’s eyeball. Oh, the things we have to tell these kids on a daily basis. They keep us on our toes. We are thankful to have Miss Taylor in our lives!
Miss Taylor and Brielle (sweet Ellie too). I think Brielle and Taylor are twins separated by 18 years or so, as the stories Taylor tells from her Mom’s recollections of her childhood parallel Brielle perfectly. I sure hope Brielle can grow up to be like Miss Taylor!
After the ceremony Elizabeth offered to take a few photos of us outside. She is an amazing photographer. That is an understatement. She is the best ever. I don’t say that lightly, as I pay some amazing photographers. But, Elizabeth doesn’t do photography as a business. It is a hobby. She takes daily photos of her kids and posts them on Facebook. They aren’t just regular photos, she captures them during their daily activities and highlights the beauty of their life and childhood. She is an artist, not just a photographer. I can only wish to have such skill and talent! Did I mention that she took this photo below along with others in like a 2-3 minute sitting and she got all the kids looking at her!
The ceremony today was shown live via the internet. My parents watched live, as did Justin’s dad and his sister Michelle. It was nice to have family watching since they couldn’t be there in person. Thank you family for being with us in Spirit and through technology!
Pastor Hall did the baby dedication today. We go to a very large church (almost 30,000 members), so they have a large staff. Pastor Hall introduced himself to us and then he mentioned he had quadruplets. Of course I knew him and his family. I said “I know you! I came to your house after your babies came home from the hospital”. I had brought a gift for their family from my Moms of Multiples Club along with some other things for the babies. They were actually the first family I visited after I become president of the club. My own twins were about 6 months old at the time. They have quads and two other kids! Immensely blessed family!
I appreciated the scriptures Pastor Hall shared. One specifically was Psalm 127:3 ” Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” This is one of my favorite. Children are a blessing from the Lord. I am thankful for my blessings. All four of them. Today at the dedication, Justin and I committed to raising them in a God centered home, so that one day they can accept Jesus as their Savior. Baptism comes when they make that decision for themselves. We pray for that to happen someday during their childhood. We will do our best to raise them to love the Lord. From that Love of the Lord comes so much goodness. That is what we pray for our children.
