Dedication at church

Yesterday was Ava's dedication at church. What a special day! We did a similar service when Claire was a baby at our old church. It felt great to show our commitment to the Lord by dedicating her to Him and agreeing to raise her in a Christian home. We were a little worried about how Claire would do in "big church," never having been before. Those of you who know her well know that she is really "excitable" and FULL of energy. Our part of the service wasn't until after a song or two, and Claire spent most of that time wanting to dance (we were sitting on the front row, so she had plenty of room in front of us). We decided it wasn't hurting anyone and, since it was only for a few minutes, we just let her do her thing (within reason of course). This was sort of one of those delicate situations where we didn't want a fit to ensue right before going on stage. :) This was also the first time in as long as I can remember that all of my immediate family (both of my parents and both of my siblings) were together at church for something besides a wedding or funeral. Some of our extended family came as well. It really meant a lot for them all to be there with us. Thank you, God, for this special day and the blessing of family!

It was also my brother's birthday, so we had lunch with my mom and dinner with my dad to celebrate. And I got a much needed nap in between!