A Blessing

Ruby was blessed on Tuesday, October 12, 2010  in our home.  While we were in Richmond for my high school reunion {10.10.10}, we got word that Kyle's mother and father were going to be in Utah that upcoming Tuesday night on business, the night after we got back to Utah, so we seized the opportunity to have Kyle's mom present for Ruby's blessing and got special permission from the bishopric to have her blessed in our home. Mary's health had been in rapid decline and when I spoke to her on the phone, she said she probably wouldn't be up for the travel again. Her being in town was definitely an unexpected but welcomed surprise.

I'll not pretend that it was a perfect experience. In fact, as I write about it, I still kind of cringe. I thought that writing about this so many months later I'd look back on the occasion with a little more fondness, but still no. I'm sure I still need a dose of perspective and need to spend some more time growing up and maturing in order to do so. We had just returned home from Virginia the night before, so the house was in a bit of chaos. I was exhausted myself -- planning and executing my high school reunion had zapped every ounce of energy in me. But, groceries needed to be picked up, the house straightened up, a meal prepared for several guests. I don't think I got dressed until about 2 minutes before the guests arrived and it was just something that had been in my closet for years that I could actually squeeze into. I barely had time to throw my hair in a pony tail, also adding to my not-so-lovely appearance. I snuck back upstairs after greeting some guests to put on a bit of make-up and noticed the dress I had put on didn't exactly fit me very well. I still had that "just had a baby" body and the fabric clung to me in all the wrong places. It certainly wasn't a picture-perfect vision in the mirror. Not that life is all about things being picture-perfect. But for these special occasions, you want the surroundings and atmosphere to be somewhat peaceful, and serene, and be feeling at least a little bit pretty. All that aside though, I was okay with dealing with the chaos, not feeling pretty, and cooking a meal on a whim. I was actually excited to try out some new recipes. And I knew that the actual ordinance taking place was the important part, which I suppose is where the feelings of disappointment come in.

Traffic was holding up Kyle's parents (beloved i-15 construction) and Brother Sandgren, the bishopric member present for the blessing needed to be in a very important meeting. The kids were getting hungry and restless and were running around. It was announced that as soon as Kyle's parents walked in the door there wouldn't be any hellos or how are yous, they'd just get right to it and start blessing her. Well, that was the case, and since there were no hello's nor how are yous, Cade and Savannah were still loudly playing in the living room while Ruby was being blessed in the family room. It wasn't their fault, they just didn't even know their grandparents had arrived and that their little sister was being blessed. I didn't hear a word of what was said in the blessing, just Cade vrooming his legos around and Savannah giggling. I stepped away in the middle of the blessing to hush them and bring them into the room, but they were so confused as to what was going on it didn't really help quiet the atmosphere. So, I'm sure she was blessed with many beautiful things and that the Spirit was present....I just didn't hear them or feel it.  I know I should simply feel grateful that at least she was blessed by a worthy priesthood holder and she was surrounded by family and close friends..... I know in my head  that that's what is important . But deep down inside of me I still wish it could have gone just even a little bit differently. I know, it's time to move on.

This being our third child blessed, we still did not manage to get a family picture of the three, four or five of us...Sigh. Maybe next time? As I look back on each of my children's blessing days none of them have been under ideal circumstances. Perhaps I'm supposed to be learning a lesson??? Or I just need to start wearing rose-colored glasses on those days.

Here are the few pictures we have of little Ruby's blessing evening.{If anyone else has any to pass on to me, I'd be ever grateful!} I know I should look at these ones of her in my old blessing dress with fondness, but every time I see them I just want to lift her up off the carpet and put her cute white blanket underneath her....or something. I know, I know. I need to let it go. Or take some photoshop refresher courses.

My mother, Ruby and Mary. This is such a tender picture for me... Mary was telling my mom to give the children extra squeezes every now and then for her and to be a Grandma for the both of them.

And we'll end with the final highlight of the night. 

Savannah ran outside into the street (why? I don't know. It was dark. Nothing really going on out there, but for some reason, all the little cousins decided to congregate in the cul-de-sac in front of our house}, tripped {a very common thing for her. Even when she is just walking} and scraped up her lip. Despite Kyle being very squeamish around blood, he thought it'd be great to take a picture of her running into the house crying.

I suppose this picture sums up that evening pretty well! I do think the food turned out alright.  Minus Kristen's chicken cordon bleu, which was grotesquely under-cooked. But we popped it in the oven for some more time and it must have been okay because she ate it.