A "Blessed" Day

Sunday, March 9, 2008 marked the last of our big Kaitlyn events for this trip. After six months, her Daddy was finally able to give her a name and a blessing. Since all of our family was together that weekend, Jeff and I thought it best to take care of this in Utah rather than waiting until we returned to our home ward in Texas. As such, we returned to the Willow Creek 2nd Ward (the ward we left in Sandy last fall). It was wonderful to be back in that ward and to visit with lots of dear friends who had prayed for Kaitlyn's safe arrival. Just as in the temple, we were also surrounded by lots of family who had traveled both near and far to be with us Sunday. I was so excited when I saw Kaitlyn's white dress!! It was made by my Aunt Nyla (my Mom's sister) and was just perfect!! She looked like a little angel!! I don't know if the pictures will reflect it very well, but I LOVE all of the tucks that make up the intricate detail of this dress. Grandma Dillon made the beautiful crocheted blanket that you see in some of the pictures as well. Both items will be treasured keepsakes of this weekend with Kaitlyn!! Jeff had wondered how "still" Kaitlyn would hold herself for the blessing (she's become quite the wiggle-worm), but she did great. And Jeff pronounced a beautiful blessing for this sweet daughter of ours. We stayed for the entire block of meetings so we'd have more of a chance to catch up with friends from that ward and thoroughly enjoyed our time there that day. We also took the opportunity to get pics of the Dillon cousins all dressed up in their "Sunday Best" before heading to church that morning. What cute kids!!

Our Eternal Family

What a wonderful day!! We looked forward to bringing Kaitlyn to the temple since before she was born, and were so excited for the "big day" to finally arrive. We chose to bring her to the Salt Lake Temple and have her sealed to us as her parents for time and all eternity. And what a great feeling to sit in the sealing room with all of our family who had gathered together as witnesses.

We made our appointment a couple of months ago and tried to get everything planned just right, but once we got to the temple, we really didn't know what to expect. After we checked in at the recommend desk, a worker escorted us to the Youth Center (the Temple's nursery) where we left Kaitlyn. It felt a little weird to be leaving her, but the workers were so sweet and excited to have her there we knew she would be in good hands. Though we had never discussed this (and looking back don't know how it would have worked anyway), Jeff and I had thought I would get to dress her in her white dress. But that was actually taken care of in the nusery as well. We then went and did the paperwork (incidentally, a lot less than you might think), and got changed. We were able to spend about 30 minutes sitting in the Celestial Room prior to the sealing. What a nice, unexpected blessing and opportunity to sit and reflect on all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon our little family.

When it was time the temple workers took us to the sealing room. Again, not knowing exactly what to expect, I think we thought Kaitlyn would be with us at this point. But still no. We entered the room with our sealer and it felt like we were there to get married. Our sealer was wonderful and talked about how children are a heritage unto the Lord. After he had talked to us for a few minutes, he said "bring in the children" which we thought was cute since we were only expecting one child to be brought in. (Who knows maybe it's some foreshadowing?) That's when Kaitlyn came into the room. She was sitting in a white umbrella stroller gnawing, not sucking, on her pacifier. Words can't really express how beautiful she looked at that moment. She had been dressed in her beautiful, white dress and was just beaming. She was all smiles!! As we knelt at the alter and had her sealed to us, we caught a brief glimse into the blessings of eternity, something that even our little family might enjoy.

At that time, and looking back, we are overwhelmed by the efforts made by family and friends to be with us on this special day. Many traveled from far distances and we recognize the sacrifice made on our behalf. We'll never forget or be able to adequately express our gratitude to those who have touched our lives both this weekend and throughout this adoption process.

It's Official!!

Friday, March 7, 2008, we took our little angel to court to finalize her adoption. It was a little surreal to enter the courthouse doors and know why we were there!! Grandpa and Grandma O and Grandma Dillon came with us. Kaitlyn, of course, was adorable. She made quick friends with the bailiff and the court reporter. Debbie, our case worker from LDS Family Services, took the stand and said we had complied with all the requirements to adopt this child and that Kaitlyn was thriving in our home. The judge, Judge John Paul Kennedy, asked us if we wanted to adopt this little girl and we, of course, said "YES!!" We said that we loved her and she had brought such a special sweet spirit into our home and we were so excited to finally make it official. We believe she is meant to be part of our family and are so excited for the opportunity to be her parents!! Judge Kennedy then signed all the paperwork and then we got to take a few pictures. This being a first for us, we weren't sure what to expect once we entered the courtroom this morning. Overall, it was very brief (no more than 20 minutes), and I was impressed by the air of formality and the respect which permeated the room's atmosphere.

Happy 1/2 Birthday!!

In the strictest sense, Kaitlyn really won't be six months old for approximately 41 more hours, but we had her 6-month pictures taken this afternoon and I was so excited about how cute she is I couldn't wait to share. (I'm so objective you know.)

The following is a brief bio that will be published in the San Antonio Families Supporting Adoption (FSA) chapter newsletter this month . . .

Weighing 7 lbs 8 ozs and measuring 19 inches, Kaitlyn Ann entered this world Wednesday, September 5, 2007. In a moment, our world was forever changed. We were blessed with the opportunity to spend her first two days at her side in the nursery until placement Friday, September 7. Since then we have enjoyed every minute especially her smiles, laughter, happy disposition, and the sweet spirit she has brought into our home!! We are so grateful for the opportunity to grow our forever family through the miracle of adoption and look forward to March 7 & 8 when we will return to Utah for our finalization hearing and our sealing appointment at the Salt Lake Temple.

(I just have the raw images on my CD so these aren't all cropped pretty, but she still looks cute!!)