Easter Blessings

Easter week was spent holding our new baby and marveling at the wonder of new life! Bringing Josiah home just in time to celebrate the life, mission, sacrifice, and resurrection of the Savior
made my favorite holiday even more memorable. Because I spent most of the week on the couch snuggling our little bundle of joy, the children took over our Easter week festivities.

Each one studied and prepared one of the daily devotionals centered around the Savior's last week of mortality.

For our traditional Passover Supper, the children did all the prep work, and we enjoyed a lovely evening. This is probably their favorite night of the festivities. Eating the same foods and reading the very same scriptures that Jesus would have read for the last Passover,and understanding how the entire ritual points to the Savior....it's just amazing, and the kids love it.

What they would rather NOT do, though, is pose for Easter Morning pictures! We made it through, and now have our first family shot with baby Josiah!

Because he was only 11 days old, we snuck into the back of church for the first hour, then the rest of the family stayed while I snuck home with the baby! I just had to go and raise my voice in praise and song "Christ the Lord is Risen Today!"

Before the day was out, we went to visit Mariah's special spot. The glory of Easter has even more personal meaning for each of us as we visit the place where the precious body of our angel baby lies in wait for her own resurrection. I hope we have pictures in heaven, because one day I will have a picture of all my children together. For now, this will have to do.


What a glorious promise we have, all because of Jesus. What a great hope we hold, all because of Jesus. We continue to shed tears of both peace and pain for our sleeping angel, but rejoice in the gift and joy that Easter holds, all because of Jesus.

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

Alma 26:16

One week already?!?!?!?

Are you sure?!?!?!

Still whispering prayers of gratitude while snuggling this precious blessing.

Introducing...

Josiah Thayer Washburn

"Weeping may endure for a night. But joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Thursday, April 14
6:52 am
7 lbs, 21 inches

First minutes...

First poses...

First looks....
First time all dressed up...



and all packed up...
and ready for home!!!


First loves with the sisters...

and some more with the brothers...


and with everyone!

After so many prayers and so much faith, by so many people for such a long time, how lovely it is to have so many smiles!

We continue to rejoice, and are ever mindful of the loving Father and giver of good gifts who has filled our arms and hearts with a precious child of His to adore.

We are blessed beyond measure!

Even Sweeter!

Here's a crazy statistic. 99 weeks. That is how long I have been pregnant and hoping and praying to hold and love and raise up and adore a homemade baby. Not fun.

The miracle. We still got to bring home and hold and love and raise up and adore this precious precious daughter. Just like our homemade babies that didn't come home, this darling is ours forever.
Throughout the last nearly four years, we have only felt immense love and gratitude for the many miracles that brought Briella to us. Some wonder if you can actually love adopted children as much as biological kids. Absolutley. Totally. Completely. And if you want to know the real truth, this girl might have an extra corner of my heart full of love for her because of the providential way she came.


And now, over the last few months, even more of my heart belongs to her. I just can't even imagine failed pregnancy after failed pregnancy after failed pregnancy for years and years without the joy holding this one in my arms and heart has brought. She is an even greater blessing, an even greater miracle, an even greater gift! I have realized that one of the many reasons the Lord sent her to us was to be a source of healing when the time came that we needed it. He is so good. And though Ellie keeps us and our parenting techniques our toes, still would rather sleep on our floor in a sleeping bag than in her own bed, and would wear her bathing suit every day of the week, how blessed we are to know and love and have her forever!

And we are exercising every bit of faith that next week she will finally be able to enjoy her role as Big Sister!!!