Three white dresses

I felt like a real grown-up last Sunday. Before getting up and dressed for the day, Mike and I laid there talking about how coming-of-age our Sunday was going to be. We were blessing our baby. While it felt big to have a baby and become parents and all that jazz, blessing her seemed to be the final step in parenthood initiation. People who bless babies are real parents. They're adult.

And then I realized, I must have become one recently . . .

Mike did a beautiful job (even though Miss Ada Lou wailed through the whole thing). It was such an overwhelming moment to watch my husband bless my child in her first white dress.

She got real happy after the blessing. Perfect timing little one...

After the meeting we had quite the affair at my parent's house. My mother, mother-in-law, and so many others did so much to make it a nice afternoon and a delicious lunch. I wish I had gotten some pictures of the spread.

Ada wore the dress that I was blessed in (as well as my sisters and my cousin. It was hers originally.) Oh and the booties. From Spain. I think I might scout out some blessing outfits for subsequent children while we're in Italy . . .

On Tuesday evening Mike and I were lucky enough to go to the temple and perform proxy sealings. It was another occasion for a white dress. Only I was in it this time. What a sweet reminder it was of the eternal nature and purpose of families.

Ada Louise on her blessing day. May 1, 2011.

On Saturday, in yet another white dress, my cousin was baptized. She giggled when she emerged from the water. I loved that.

I couldn't help but think how unique it was to witness and participate in three white-dress-ordinances in just a week. It was a reminder of how simple and how beautiful life is meant to be.