Blessing Ivy

On January 4, 2015 our sweet baby girl received a name and a blessing from her dad.  Even  9:00 am church didn't stop people and, like always, we had our wonderful families there to share in our happy day. The Palmer clan arrived on Saturday, and were good sports to stay in a hotel down the road.  We all went swimming and out for dinner on Saturday night, and the girls had a great time being with their grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins.

After the blessing we met back at our home for a delicious brunch full of yummy food that everyone so graciously contributed.  Everyone took their turn snuggling Ivy and it was a wonderful few hours talking and laughing with our people.  We are so blessed! 

The blessing circle was full of the great men in Ivy's life: great grandpa Marv, Papa Jeff, Papa Paul, Uncle Greg, Uncle Taylor, Uncle Jace, Uncle Sam, Uncle Grady, and David Bond were all able to join Ryan in blessing our sweet babe. The words of the blessing were perfect, and the love in my heart was tangible as I listened to my precious baby girl receive the blessing of courage in times of trial and a desire to lean on the Lord when hard times come.  A blessing that she will always remain close to her family who loves her so very much.  And a hope that she will develop a personal relationship and love for her Savior and Heavenly Father throughout her life.

There isn't much more I want for my children than that.  I want them to know that they are loved.  Not only by their mom and dad, sisters and grandparents, but by their Heavenly Father and older brother Jesus Christ.  The knowledge that they have an infinite and eternal worth, and that they are never alone in their struggles will take them places that world travels, a college degree and a million dollars never could.

The blessing days of my daughters go down as some of the sweetest days of my life.  I feel the Lord so near as I watch my husband exercise his priesthood with a worthy and willing heart, and as I dress my baby in the first of many white dresses that she will hopefully wear in her life.  It is a time that I feel my dad near, and know that our angels are closer than we can ever imagine.  It's a day that the promise of forever families seems more precious than gold as I look at the many people in my life I will be blessed to spend eternity with.

On the morning Ivy was born I had the LDS music station playing on Pandora while I breathed through the unexpected contractions and tried to focus long enough to curl my hair.  It's no surprise that tears rolled down my cheeks as I listened to a beautiful rendition of "I am a Child of God," knowing there was a good chance I would soon be holding in my arms one of those sweet spirits sent down from our Father in Heaven.  Since that moment it has sort of become Ivy's song to me.  I sing it to her when I am rocking her to sleep or when she is sad, and it almost always helps her to relax.

One day Ivy was crying as we drove home from being out, and I told Stella to sing the song with me to help Ivy calm down.  Instead of singing the normal lyrics, Stella suggested we change them just slightly to represent the fact that we were singing them to her.  Ever since that moment in the car I have changed the words as I sing them in my sweet baby's ear, reassuring her that I truly will do all that I can to lead her back to her loving Father in Heaven.

You are a child of God, 

And He has sent you here,

Has given you an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

I'll lead you, guide you, walk beside you,

Help you find the way.

Teach you all that you must do

To live with Him someday.