Blessing Day

Above: My sweet little Jonathan.


On Sunday, May 1st, we blessed Jonathan Jeremiah Washburn.

Church starts for us at 9 a.m., so we all had to get up bright and early to get there on time. Sunday was the first time that all of us have gone to church together since before Jonathan was born. Peter was sick two weeks before Jonathan was born and I kept him home after he broke his leg because he only had a splint and couldn't walk on it. Then, of course, Jonathan was born. I kept both Peter and Jonathan home with me during RSV season. Because I tell you, if there is a cold, flu, or other sickness to be caught, Peter will catch it--even if he was only exposed to the germs/viruses for ten minutes (or less).

It was kind of crazy getting everyone ready--and getting up myself! Jonathan is still waking up to eat 2-3 times a night and I'm not getting a ton of sleep as a result. So, these days, I mostly lounge around in my pajamas because no way am I getting up early to get ready when I could be sleeping instead! I am doing my best to use the boys' afternoon nap time to exercise (when they cooperate and actually nap at the same time). So, on the days I do get ready, it doesn't happen until 3 p.m.!

Above: Jonathan looking sweet and content...as he does every morning!

It was so nice to get out with our entire family though. It was a beautiful, warm spring day. Both Peter and Jonathan were in good moods. We got Peter fed and then we got everyone dressed.

Jonathan looked so cute in the blessing outfit that his Nammy made for him.

Above: Jonathan in the blessing outfit his Nammy made for him. I couldn't get him to smile though because he was cranky that I had squished his feet into shoes that were too small for him. Here he is right after I took the shoes off of him. I'll have to put the blessing outfit on him again and take more pictures when I have time. It's too hard to get a glamour shot when you're trying to get to 9 a.m. church on time! I took nearly ten pictures and none of them were great.

And Peter looked so grown up and handsome in his church clothes. He was so proud of the way he looked that he snuck up behind me, tugged on my dress to show off his outfit, and then looked very shy as I admired it.

Above: Peter in his church clothes. Though he was being sassy and wouldn't let me get a decent picture.

It was so nice to have our family there to participate. It meant so much to us.

Jeremiah blessed Jonathan to take after his namesakes in the Bible. Jonathan is named after one of the best examples of being a friend in the Bible--Jonathan, King David's friend. He is also named after his Dad, and the prophet Jeremiah. One of the most well known scriptures in the book of Jeremiah is about missionary work. It is Jeremiah 16:16 "Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks."

Jonathan was blessed by his Dad to be a good friend to all those around him--especially his big brother Peter. He was also blessed with a desire to be a missionary and to share the gospel. Finally, he was blessed to turn to his family as a support group to help him throughout his life. It was a very special blessing.

Peter and Nammy missed it because Peter lead her out of the chapel as soon as the opening song was finished. He did come back into the chapel for a few very well-timed moments of drama.

I bore my testimony on the importance of names. I am grateful for what I have learned about the Savior and the ability to come to know His personality through the names He has been given. For instance, I love that one of His names is Alpha and Omega--which means "the beginning and the end." I know that the Savior is the beginning of all things good (love, repentance, happiness, families, forgiveness, etc.) and the ending of all things bad (unhappiness, hate, sorrow, fear, etc.). That name, alone, teaches so much about what kind of a person Jesus is. And Jesus has MANY names. So much to learn from all of His names!

I am grateful that I have been able to grow and take on different responsibilities with the different names I have taken upon myself. As Sarah Mackay, I gained the capacities and talents to carry the responsibility of being Sarah Mackay. When I became Sarah Washburn and Wife, I grew in my capacity and took on new responsibilities and grew. When I took upon me the name of Mother by becoming the mother of Peter, I grew again and learned as my capacity further expanded. As I have become the mother of two sons by becoming the mother of Jonathan, I have felt my capacity growing even more. I was terrified of becoming a mother of two boys--especially since Peter is quite a handful. He is the most adorable, loving, rambunctious little guy. But just as HIS namesake Simon Peter, he is just as passionate. My Passionate Peter. I was so scared of how I would juggle the two of them and give them both the care that they needed. I really didn't think I could do it. I had many pregnancy hormone induced breakdowns regarding that fear.

But again, my capacity has grown. The Lord saw in me much more than I saw in myself and He has given me the ability to tackle the tasks that have been placed before me.

As I bore my testimony, my sweet passionate Peter heard me in his wanderings around the ward house and ran all the way up the aisle to me (calling "Mama! Mama!" the whole way). While everyone in the whole ward shifted their gaze from me to Pete. I closed my testimony and picked up my sweet guy who was doing his chin quiver. A little dramatic trick he picked up on his own.

Oh, and during the closing hymn, Peter (who had gone back out into the halls with his Nammy), somehow got away from Nammy and ran back up to the podium (I think he thought he would find me there again since that's where he found me last time). I had to be the one to chase him up the aisle. Oh, and I was wearing a new pair of high-heeled shoes which I discovered the hard way will only be used for fancy dates because I can't walk fast enough in them to run after Peter. When I got him, he screamed for his Nammy at the top of his lungs. I had to take him out of the chapel and into an empty classroom to (unsuccessfully) muffle his screams. For those of you who haven't heard Peter yell, he is pretty darn loud. I told a few ladies later that I get my attention through my kids and that I just wanted to make a dramatic re-entry into church-going.

By the way, as a side note, thank you to all those people out there who understand what it is like to have a strong-willed child. I was so appreciative of the sympathetic or amused expressions from the majority of the congregation...as opposed to the few looks of disapproval I got. I am grateful that most of the people in my ward realize that Peter being so passionate is not a result of me coddling, overindulging, or spoiling him...but a result of his nature. He was born with that. I'm doing my best to teach him! I really am! Contrary to what some people may believe, I don't let him have his way in everything. He does get told "no."

I told Jeremiah that I'll have to study up on ways to discipline him in public because time-outs are proving really successful at home, but what do you do when you're not at home? Oh, and for any of you moms out there who have dealt with rowdy kids in sacrament meeting, I would love any and all tips that you have for keeping your kids in their seats and quiet!

Needless to say, it was a very busy morning. Because Peter has been mostly house-bound with me and Jonathan, it was the most action he had seen in the morning in a long time. That's why I can understand why Peter fell asleep on the drive home. Though Jeremiah and I were pretty surprised. It has been at least 6 months since Peter has fallen asleep in the car!


Yes, I do believe my capacity has grown and will continue to grow...indeed!

Above: Bonus picture of my three boys sitting in a fort/pirate ship that I made out of the little couch. It looks like Pete has my childhood habit of smiling in an overzealous manner for the camera!


Above: Bonus picture of my hero. Electrical Tape Man! Seriously, I can't get Peter to wear clothes at home! At least he doesn't object to wearing clothes in public. I guess you have to pick your battles, right? We got creative with some electrical tape (he thinks it's so funny when you put tape or stickers on him). He thought he looked so cool! And he does!


Above: Casual breakfast at the Washburn residence. Dig Jonathan's double chin!


Above: A parting view of my sweet sweet Jonathan.