James blessing (six weeks later)

What is it about the more children you have, the longer it takes to get things done???

Somehow I forgot about taking pictures on his actual blessing day, and I've been thinking that I needed to do it for six weeks. Nice. Well, this afternoon I just decided to do it. I was going to try to get all the kids dressed for it, but there was an after-school meltdown and I just figured if someone wanted to participate, they would. Hyrum was the only willing participant.

So, anyway, some photos of a baby in his almost-too-small blessing outfit.

Hyrum loves, loves, loves his baby brother. He is constantly hugging and kissing him. If James makes the smallest little fuss, Hyrum is right there to pat James' belly and tell him it's ok.

The last one I had to take with the flash because it was getting too dark, but what a cute smile!! I'm gonna see if I can sneak in a few minutes tomorrow for a couple more smiley ones.

There's a funny story about his blessing that I need to write down so I'll remember.

I had asked Brandon sort-of jokingly if there were going to be 20 guys in the circle again and he said no. He was going to keep it to family this time. Well, I thought about the size of that circle, and it was a pretty sad number. My step-dad, his dad, his sister's husband, my uncle, and my cousin's husband. Maybe that's not such a bad size, after all, but in my head, it just looked small.

So I said I liked how big the circle was last time, so Brandon began making some calls. When the men were invited up, it was a figure-eight shaped circle because there were so many. I think it was one shy of 20 men.

Brandon was a little embarrassed, but I thought it was incredible. It drew a few chuckles, but it also touched a lot of people, including me. Seeing all those wonderful priesthood holders who love our family and were honored to share in that ordinance was amazing.

The primary president at the time, who I was a counselor to, and one of my good friends sent me this email because she didn't feel like she was completely eloquent when she bore her testimony that day.

My thoughts on seeing so many priesthood holders going to support and participate in the blessing for James, and thereby the Chapman family, were heartwarming. James will never remember but I kept thinking that this group represented ALL the priesthood holders who would bless his life and support him. Yes, names may change, but the Priesthood will not change. What a good start to his life. The majority of the blessing I was thinking about that. (then it turned to all the priesthood holder's who bless my life & then throw in my gratitude to your family for letting my brother use his Priesthood to help with the blessing & I could have left church for the day feeling spiritually gratified).

Another of my friends, the bishop's wife, who I can't recall seeing bare her testimony in the three years we've been here, got up that day, too.

And Brandon was very overcome. He had sit for a few minutes to gain his composure when it was done.

Our James is very, very special and we know it. We feel very blessed to have him in our home and a part of our family.