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!!!

It's showtime!!!!!

OK, we didn't drop off the planet...we finished our show! Rodgers and Hammerstien's "Cinderella" was a big success, and we are all thrilled to be back on regular sleep schedules! But, oh, how worth it!

Six of the Washburns lit up the stage....but none were more excited than Bekah, who made her premier main stage debut as a village girl

and a mouse who got turned into a horse!
Christian also doubled as the Herald
and a guest at the ball! All the boys had some pretty impressive waltzing going on!
Jonah doubled as a court guard
and a ball guest.
Indy doubled the same as Jonah, guard
and impressive dancer!
Kamberlynne had a single role, but played it up beautifully as one of Cinderella's stepsisters! I think her favorite part was wearing a size 22 fat suit (wait till you see the video!)
And finally, momma was the music director, and ran all the audio equipment....and was tired!
And now for all you big fans (Nana), grab some popcorn and enjoy a few videos!

Here is the opener...Christian soloing in his new lower voice, Jonah and Indy to his right, Kamberlynne center in the big fat suit and orange skirt....and watch for Bekah's one line "Maisy"...she's adorable!



Here Rebekah (the mouse on the far left) is transformed into a horse....



Now check out Jonah and Indy "Dancing like the Stars". They are center stage...oh, and Kamberlynne comes in to "dance" with the Prince!



Another ball scene....hard to see, but Jonah is just behind Cinderella with his partner, and they ROCK!


Now the "Stepsister's Lament".....brought big laughs! Kamberlynne's big take the stage moment!



And at last, the finale....whole ensemble, and a very nice harmony note at the end, even if I do say so myself!!!!



So, there you have it! Now our next big debut will be the new baby....13 days and counting!

Ultimate Girls Night!

Fabulous dinner...


Fabulous fabulous show....


With one fabulous fabulous FABULOUS girl!

I love being the momma!

Yep, a night like that makes it to the top of the girls night "All-time Greats"!

Just for laughs!

It's a scientific fact that you don't talk about dieting to a pregnant woman...especially when she is in the last trimester, and forgot what she really is supposed to look like. Well, Brian is recovering from a knee injury, is just about back to full speed, and is super psyched about taking off the pounds he put on while his knee was on the blitz. I took it pretty well... for a while. Until he got a little more specific. And I quote,

"I just wish I could get rid of this stuff in the middle", he says.

OK. That's enough. Compared to MY middle, buddy, you're doin' just fine. So Stop it. Seriously.

I actually told him that...and even though I was kind of smiling, he got it, because the next day he came home with this to show me....

1 minute and 46 seconds of pure truth. And funny. Very. Very. Funny.



So the only thing that could be better would be a new one entitled "Things you don't say to your PREGNANT wife!

Come on. Click the video. It's worth every second!

Rainbows

As much as we love the sunshine, sometimes God let's it rain. And it rains, and it rains, and it rains. Really really hard. Its such a big storm, you end up losing power, and you try and function off the meager lights of a few candles. The wind seems to be ripping apart your house, and the thought enters and re-enters your mind that you just might not make it through this one, and you are certainly going to sustain some damage. You wish it would end.


And then, there is a slow change as the sky lightens up a bit and there are small breaks in the clouds. You see it. Even while it is still raining, the sky is brightened and beautified by the loveliest of rainbows. As you enjoy the wonder of it, a deeper realization stirs your spirit. You understand that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that you are not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover, there will certainly be more rainy days, but the appearance of the rainbow provides a counter balance of beauty, color, and a sense of promise. Something stirs within your heart that seems to have barely survived. You feel it like you haven't since the storm first hit. It is hope.

In grieving circles, babies born to families after the loss of a child are often referred to as "Rainbow Babies". We are counting down the weeks, and praying with all of our hearts to bring our "rainbow baby" home. The hope and gift of him has brought healing and peace in a way that nothing else has since we said hello and goodbye to Mariah. But it is also a hard battle between faith and fear. I am quoting to myself daily, sometimes hourly, 2 Timothy 1:7: " For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Next week we begin weekly stress tests and ultrasounds to keep a close eye on this little one. Whatever extra prayers and thoughts you may have in your home, would you please remember us? Especially me....I am so in need of "a sound mind". Eight weeks still seems so very very far away.

I can't imagine having come this long through the storm, and still not having a rainbow.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart"....

Here comes the sun....

Today.
Outside.
71 degrees.
In the middle of February.

With piles of snow still on the ground.

Just weird.
Lovely.
But weird.
But did I mention how very lovely?

Forecast is calling for snow on Sunday.
Figures.