There isn't anything quite as beautiful or as pure as a little girl in a white dress. Both of my beautiful daughters had the privilege of wearing beautiful white dresses both made by my amazing mother. Natalia was given a name and a blessing on July 4, 2010. I was so careful with her dress. I got her all ready for church except for her blessing dress, saving it until a few minutes before Sacrament Meeting to prevent possible blow-outs or wrinkling. Josh gave her a beautiful blessing. I was so proud of him! It's such a comfort being married to a worthy priesthood holder and know that he can perform sacred ordinances in our behalf. He's so cute about it too. He deeply desires to do everything correctly and gets nervous and worried about how to do it. It's all still so new to him. It filled me with peace, warmth and love to hear the beautiful blessing that was pronounced upon our beautiful Natalia. I dearly love my sweet husband!
Well...Natalia needed to be fed right after Sacrament Meeting - just before going to the park for a brunch. Just as she was done eating, she had a blowout in her dress! So I didn't have ANY pictures of her in her blessing dress on the day of her blessing. By the time I got the dress cleaned and ready for pictures, Hali's dress was nearly done. So I planned on having a photoshoot with both girls in their white ordinance dresses.
Hali was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on her birthday, September 11. It was an incredibly special day for us all. She was thrilled to be baptized on her birthday! Right after being baptized as she was changing into her white dress for her confirmation, she kept saying, "I feel SO clean! I feel SO good!" She was positively beaming! She looked so beautiful in her white dress! I was so proud of her! I had been preparing her for that day since Josh and I had met. She came to my primary class and I had the opportunity of teaching her the Gospel and preparing her to be baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I didn't do it alone, of course. Josh was instructing right alongside me. She also had the wonderful example of our families, extended relatives, cousins, primary teachers and friends. It's hard when you only have the Gospel in your life part-time, but it seems that those examples, experiences, and lessons mean so much to her that they stick and remain with her.
We did a photoshoot at the Temple with both girls in their white dresses. I was SO relieved that Natalia still fit in hers! :0) I am waiting for the CD of pics - so as soon as I get them I will post them! I have seen them though and they are incredibly beautiful! As I looked at my beautiful girls in white at the Temple, my thoughts kept returning to someday having Hali sealed to us. I hope for that day. I long for that day. I pray for that day. And hope that sooner than later we will enter the Temple to be sealed as a WHOLE eternal family!
