Little Lincoln’s Blessing Day

I’m a bit late sharing this (just got back from Lincoln’s fourth month appointment where he handled his shots like a champ and I got chewed out for letting him sleep on his stomach), but I wanted to take the time to write down a few thoughts and share a few snaps from Lincoln’s baby blessing. On the first Sunday in May, Ben and I were both in New Hampshire and Ben gave Linc the sweetest blessing during our regular church service. It was special for me because, while these kind of things usually happen when the babe is a bit younger, by waiting we were able to be surrounded by family and dear friends.

One of my favorite parts of the blessing was where Lincoln was told to take the good from each of his ancestors, his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents and to build on their light. It was a reminder for me that so much of who I am, and so much of who Lincoln can be, is a result of the hard work of each generation in our family. I came across a quote in a book I’m reading (I shared it on instagram here) that reads,

“Pleasure takes the form of ‘me’ and ‘now’ while real joy is ‘us’ and ‘always.'”

Following the blessing I had the chance to listen to quite a few of my family members share their convictions about faith and family and it really hit home that this is what its all about. There are many good things I can do in life (and I hope there are many good things I will do in life), but the most important, the most crucial, and the most long lasting, will be the work we do together as a family within our home. Along with the most important work, it is possible that this is also the most challenging. But, when I focus on ‘us’ and ‘always’ instead of ‘me’ and ‘now,’ there is plenty of joy to go around.

Here are just a few pictures from the day – the combo of getting out of church in the heat of the day with only direct sunlight, and everyone (including the baby) being hungry and tired, didn’t make for the greatest of shots – but that one of all four generations of boys? That one makes it worth it 🙂


^can you spot Carly snapping our picture?
^that smile though 🙂 
^Lincoln and his great-grandparents! And they really are great – my grandma knitted the blessing blanket he’s holding here and it took her months and months. I got to see the design before I was pregnant and I was just hoping I’d be the next grandchild to have my first baby so that blanket could be ours! (when you have so many cousins – there’s no guarantee…I had two other cousins give birth the same month as Linc and my grandma proudly tells people Lincoln is their 42nd great-grandchild). Someday I should write a full post on the life lessons I’ve learned from these guys – but I just hope Ben and I are as happy and cute (and active and involved..) as they are when we’re well into our eighties. 
^Four generations right there
^the family that showed up for the day (we had grandma in town + grandparents we live with + aunt and uncle up for the day + some cousins and their kids who left before we got around to taking pictures) 
^it was also a HUGE treat to have these two up for the day as well – Ryan and Carly were our best friends at BYU (we call them our “married rooommates” and you can see plenty of our old shenanigans here and here). They are still in Provo but happened to be visiting Carly’s family in Boston the same week we were in New Hampshire and drove up for the blessing. We feel so lucky to have such dear friends … and to have them have stayed such dear friends since we moved away two years ago. Maybe someday we’ll get back to living four seconds away? A girl can dream 🙂 
^Showing off their baby bumps ….Car is due this fall and you can bet Lincoln and his future wife got plenty of cuddles as Carly held the baby that day 😉

“Okay Linc, we can be done taking pictures now”

a few details:
My dress was a gift from Shabby Apple
Linc’s outfit was a gift from Feltman Brothers (and I love that we had a special little outfit for such a special day)

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2 Comments

  1. He is the most handsome little man! What a special day 🙂

  2. We waited until our first was 4 months to bless him so we could be around family, and it was the best! We also slept him on his stomach and he lived 😉