Dedication Sunday

This past Sunday was a very important day for our little family.  We officially vowed in front of all of our friends and family that we would raise our son to know Jesus Christ.  It was a very brief ceremony, only lasting about 10 minutes or so, but it was extremely meaningful for me.  I was telling Jerimiah on one of our walks the other day that I hold this day to the same importance as our wedding day.  I know, I know...kind of a strange thing to say, but its true.  Now don't get me wrong, I haven't been planning this event for 6 months, agonizing over invitations or what dress to wear.  Nothing like that (thank GOD!)  But verbalizing in front of God, our family, our church, and friends that we will do our very best to love him in a Godly manner and to conduct ourselves in such a way that Christ is reflected is no small task.  This responsibility is one that weighs heavy on my heart each and everyday.  To know that this innocent little boy will look to his parents to see a reflection of Christ overwhelms me.  It makes me incredibly determined to hold tight to the word of God, even more than before.  I want so much for my son to know the peace that only comes from God, to feel His presence when he is hurting, to see the miracles that He has performed all around us.  I pray every night that God would grab a hold of my little boy and would overwhelm his heart with love and joy.  I am so excited to see where God will lead my James.  He was created for a purpose and I can't wait to see what that purpose will be.

The dedication day was a fun one!  We had all kinds of family in town to celebrate this day with us.  I took almost 300 pictures on this day and I tried to figure out the best way to share some of them with out overwhelming this blog post (oops, too late).  So here is a little snap shot into our dedication Sunday.

 I have to say, James was looking pretty sharp in his little outfit.  I haven't really had to buy him many clothes since he was born thanks to all of his generous grandparents.  However, on this occasion I did some serious shopping for his outfit.  Of course, he could make anything look cute.  

We gave James his first Bible.  Hopefully he will learn to love it as much as we do.  

Nannet did an amazing job of making the dedication special for all of the families.  We all got to take a pic with Dennis after the dedication, got a certificate, a little Bible, and a DVD of the service.  We are incredibly blessed by our church and especially our preschool department.  James was loving his ride in the wagon!

We had everyone at our house after the service for a little celebration luncheon.  I'll admit, I went a little overboard with everything.  But it was just such a special day for me.  Maybe it's a mom thing, I don't know.  It may not have been that big of a deal to any one else, but it was a big deal to me.  Anything that involves my child is a big deal to me so I will probably always go a little overboard...and I'm ok with that. 

Here are a few pics of the spread.  I have to thank Jer and my parents for working really hard to help me pull this all off.  I couldn't have done it with out their help!  Thanks team! 

The Menu:

Sandwich Trio: 

Grilled Ham and Cheese (we used gouda cheese and it was so good)

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches (Thanks Edie)

Soups: 

Chicken Noodle

Tomato Basil

Salad Greens

Fruit and Dip

Cheese and Crackers

Dessert:

Snickers Cupcakes (thanks Linds!)

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Cupcake Cake Balls

Lots of great family.  We are very blessed to have this many people who love us and our little boy.

My boy James.

We had a little station set up for our family to write prayers and wisdom to James.  This was very special for me.  I read through some of these prayers last night and just cried my eyes out. 

Overall, it was an amazing day.  I will never forget it.