Finally...a Name and a Blessing!

In our church, fathers give their new little babies a blessing shortly after they're born. Pretty much as soon as mom and baby rejoin the world after the baby is born. This also adds the baby to the church's member records so they can be counted as one of some 14 million Mormons. Usually families make an event out of it: families come together, babies get dressed up in white (much like a baby's baptism) and are officially named and honored.

However, this is one thing that is done when the parents choose to do it; everything is up to the parents. We chose to wait until our two families could be together to see the first grandbaby on either side be blessed. Because of weather and distance, last weekend was the first time we could get everyone together! And, because of travel and weather forecasts for said travel, we blessed Nathan in my in-laws' home on Saturday, instead of in church in front of everyone on Sunday during a church meeting.

We were going to have everyone there, but Danny, our brother-in-law, had lasik surgery scheduled (go perfect vision! It went great!!) and my sister Camille was taking finals at BYU. So, we had almost everyone there. Danny, Dani (Danny's wife...cute, I know!), and Camille, we missed you! :o)

Okay, enough chitchat. I have group pictures we took, but I don't have the ones I'm planning to take of just him in his blessing outfit yet. He was hit with a bad cold that turned into bronchitis, so I'm waiting for some red, watery eyes to go away and a happy demeanor to return!

Here we go!

Here is Nathan lounging, waiting to be dressed in his white outfit. I just love the arm! He knows what a la-z-boy is for!
(Surprisingly, he didn't blow out as soon as I put the outfit on him!)
Nathan and mom
Nathan and dad
The men that helped give Nathan a blessing: his dad spoke the words and they all stood in a circle to show their support. This is something that is reserved for the men in our church to do.
[From left to right: Clark Melinkovich (the church clergyman who helped them out), Ethan Dooley, Mitch, Dave Dooley, Pat Larson.]

Three generations; there are four generations living on the Dooley side, but Nathan's great-grandpa couldn't make it. We missed you, Grandma & Grandpa Sheffer!
The Dooley Family
(We missed you, grandparents and Danny & Dani!)
The Larson Family
(we missed you, grandparents and Camille!)
Nathan and his grandpas :o)
His shirt says, "Team Grandpa"...he isn't with both his grandpas often; I thought it was appropriate! He even looks like he's smiling here!
This was one of my favorites from this weekend. I don't get pictures with my little man very often because I'm always behind the camera! (Or i'm sleep deprived and still in pajamas...)
And another favorite...Nathan is in about the 50th percentile and Melissa is 12 and oh-so-tiny for her age! I love the combination of the average, chunky baby and the tiny adolescent!
(What!? She's an adolescent!?)
I swear their heads are the same size! We thought she was going to fall over when he went all limp noodle on her! (check out his chunky arms and legs...I love them...)

Thank you, thank you to all the family that made this possible. Our Dooley family housed and fed everyone and made it a great weekend that we couldn't have pulled off in our tiny apartment. Our Larson family missed a week of school and work to drive tons of hours (through the night, no less) to make it. It really made me realize how much LOVE there is in a family!