Graham's dedication

Our family has lots of celebrations this spring. We celebrated Levi's birthday at the end of April, then today had Graham's dedication and Mother's Day, and next week we will celebrate Ben's 2nd birthday. I am a planner, and I like to think through things and be well organized. However, being a mom of 3 little guys, I am learning that planning can only go so far. There are so many uncertainties and unknowns in our days, and nothing is picture perfect. Sometimes I wish that everything would just be nice and orderly, but I guess that wouldn't be life. It certainly wouldn't be motherhood.

We were so excited to dedicate Graham today on Mother's Day. Michael's mom and dad came to town for a day, and my mom joined us as well. I planned a lunch at our house after church. Everything went as planned until Ben woke up this morning burning up. He was fine yesterday, but after he vomited a couple of times we realized that he was definitely not fine now. Poor guy. What were we supposed to do? We decided that we would just have to cancel everything, but then his fever broke and he started to act pretty normal so we deciced to go through with the day as planned, with a few little changes including having someone take Ben straight home after the dedication instead of going to the nursery.

We made it to church, and it went great. It really was a special time for our family. Ben was definitely sick, and I was so worried that he was going to vomit on stage but thankfully, he never did. What an unforgettable memory that would have been! The sweet little guy just stared off into space and made me feel like a horrible mother for making him be there. He was a trooper though and fell asleep in Daddy's arms during the rest of the service. Most importantly, since the day was about him, little Graham Oliver enjoyed his special day and was on his best behavior. Michael was holding him and he kept reaching out to play with my hair and laughing. It was too sweet.

We had a great lunch at our house. The boys loved spending time with grandma, mimi and papa, as well as our good friends Kevin and Deborah. We never dreamed that we would be dedicating another little guy this spring, but I couldn't be more thankful that I get to be Graham Oliver's mom. I am blessed beyond belief. What a wonderful way to spend Mother's Day. I love you, little man!


The 5 of us. (We really were cruel for making Ben take a picture.)


Grandma and Graham

Mimi and Papa with Graham

Poor Ben just cuddled up in a chair and watched a video. Normally, when my kids are sick I just want to hold them all day. I felts so badly that I wasn't able to do that. He did gets lots of attention though.


Graham's dedication is a good time for Michael and I to think back to our parenting commitments. Before Levi was born we went to Aspen for a weekend and thought through what our most important priorities would be as parents. I wanted something tangible to look at and hold us accountable.

What We Commit To Teaching Our Children...
I. To Know Christ As Their Personal Savior
a. Be active in church
b. Share the store of Jesus from birth on
c. Pray for them and teach them to pray from the very beginning
d. Talk openly about our personal relationship with Jesus

II. To Find Satisfaction in God
a. Pray with them on a daily basis
b. Have family Bible studies and devotions
c. Praise God as a family
d. Laugh together often
e. Don't focus on material things
f. Maintain a kingdom-focused mentality

III. To Live Life To Its Fullest
a. Go on regular family vacations - introduce them to the world and God's creation
b. Regularly participate in family activities (biking, hiking, etc.)
c. Teach them to be well rounded, helping them learn their interests and talents

IV. To Love Others
a. Laugh, play, talk and show affection as a family
b. Love them unconditionally
c. Invest in freindships (model it!)
d. Introduce them to the less fortunate and participate as a family in helping to provide for their needs

V. Work Hard, Play Later...But Do Play
a. Require them to do chores
b. Teach them to be responsible for their things
c. Place priority on learning and education
d. Teach them the value of a dollar through working

We weren't parents yet when we created these commitments, but I still treasure each one of them. While there are many other things that we think are important in raising these guys, the most important remains to introduce them to Jesus Christ. While their happiness is important, it won't mean a thing if they don't know Jesus as their Savior.

Happy Mother's Day and happy dedication day, Graham!