Weekend Recap

On Saturday we celebrated the dedication of Mac and Kerri Grace. Our babies were surrounded and prayed for by our families, friends and small group members. It was so meaningful and I loved the chance to celebrate our little ones and thank God for each of their lives.

I had been checking off a lengthy to do list in my head all week for this one quick hour. I'd envisioned a simple, heartfelt little get-together dedicating our beautiful babies to the Lord, and us to raising them to serve Him.

While it was just what we'd hoped, I was too abuzz with what "needed" to be done, our guests' happiness and comfort, Mac's fussiness (heat + excitement + 100 arms squeezing him) and the fact that he'd spit up all over both of the sweet outfits I packed; I didn't let myself enjoy the celebration.

It had been my prayer that I would remain focused on the true intent of the afternoon, but my list-making, anxious tendencies got the best of me and I was a spinning top for a moment there. Hopefully it wasn't apparent to everyone who attended, but I was definitely a Martha, not a Mary, that afternoon. It's been my one regret since.

Halfway through the service, Mac needed to be changed because he'd soaked his outfit through with baby food. I was in such a hurry to do it during a prayer that he wasn't even snapped up when we got back to the front. Essentially, he was wearing a dress for his portion of the program. Oops!

Undoubtedly confused at all of the hullabaloo, Mac cried through most of the prayers his two grandfathers said over him. I couldn't quiet him or tune him out to listen and worried (needlessly) that everyone else was frustrated by the noise.

I stressed about a photograph of Kerri Grace that disappeared during the slideshow and about the sweat glow I was developing from the afternoon heat. I worried that I was blocking the view of the other family in attendance and, while doing so, stood directly in the way of someone trying to get to her elderly mom. I fretted that Mac was throwing up and feverish - could it be a virus? (More likely just the result of a hot, hot June afternoon and too much jiggling around.) By the end of the day, our Macky was in a white onesie and even that was, shall we say, splattered. I even worried I was worrying too much. Whew.

On a day I should have soaked up, start to finish, I was focused on inconsequential concerns and things I couldn't control. This is what happens when I put the focus on myself and my own expectations and take my eyes off of what really matters; in this case, a chance for thanksgiving and celebration.

Thankfully, everyone else was calm and fully understood (unlike me) that babies cry, outfits get changed mid-service and slideshows have a mind of their own.

The food was delicious, the freshly cut hydrangeas were beautiful, our pastor's words were just what we needed to challenge ourselves as parents and our babies were the perfect, precious little people God created them to be.

We passed Mac around and chatted with our guests, but Bradley and I didn't take time to post for a single picture with Mac. On his dedication day! Double oops.

My parents got some good pictures but I may act on a friend's suggestion to dress back up in our outfits from the day (assuming I can get the baby food stains out of Mac's ensembles on my second try) and take some shots of all three of us for his baby book. I won't tell if you won't!

Sunday morning we had a great church service and then drove to Lake Keowee to join our small group at the lake. The day flew by in a blur of eating, talking, boating, jet-skiing, water gun contests and splashing around.


Mac wore his new bathing suit and got into the lake for the very first time. I wouldn't say he loved it. As excited as we were about his float and its "tent" cover, Mac enjoys his bath far more than the lake at this point. We played in the baby pool instead.

Mac hanging out with Dad and Maggie after a nap (for Mac) and a boat ride (for B and Maggie).

More time with friends and a beautiful day on the water made for a perfect end to our weekend!

Now I'm catching up on everything that went undone while we were out and I'm promising myself to fight my Martha-like tendencies next time a special occasion comes around...

Hope your weekends were wonderful, too!