Blessings

Blessing  4 1/2 months

Sunday March 3rd was a special day for our little family, Sienna was blessed by her Daddy. She wore a beautiful dress made from the extra fabric of my wedding dress (both made by my Grandma). Peanut's sweet spirit was truly shinning that day. As strange as it may sound, this little four month old seemed to be "over joyed" to be there and to see her family. Indeed, with her pure spirit I believe she had eyes to see those who we could not.

The week before Sienna was blessed, Justin's Great Grandma Slater (Sienna's Great Great Grandmother) suffered a stroke on her way back from Arizona (she was coming back for the blessing). She passed away in a Las Vegas hospital the day before the blessing. This made the blessing an even more emotional of an experience.

Five generation picture
 (so very grateful we took it before they left for AZ.)

When Justin took Peanut to the front of the congregation it felt as if heaven opened up and our sweet baby was surrounded by her family members both present and those who came before including, Great Grandma Slater and Grandma Mund (she passed away when Peanut was two weeks old). My heart overflowed with feelings of a divine love for Sienna, my family, and my Heavenly Father.

There have been several times in my life where the veil has become thin and the powers of Heaven felt so strong and encircling. Moment when my heavenly family has come to support, sustain, comfort, and encourage me. Indeed, I believe there are moments in everyone's life when Heaven feels closer with angels surrounding us. These moments could be moments of joy such as eternal marriage or when a new spirit enters this world. These moments also come in heartache, sorrow, and fear. Moments when as a teenager you are crying on the couch scared to death about what is going to happen to your Mom who was just rushed off to the hospital. The flood of emotion that sweeps over you when a terrible diagnosis is made. When pacing the waiting room while your companion is in surgery with no guarantee of the outcome. These are the moments when Heaven is all around us. When those beyond the veil mourn with those who mourn, provide comfort to those in need of comfort, provide peace in desperate need of it, and also rejoice in our hard won victories. They do this with a perfect knowledge of our savior and with a perspective of life and death that we won't fully see until we are reunited.

These moments,when we feel Heaven is here, we can more fully understand the blessing Saviors all encompassing atonement. The importance of eternal families and the binding power of temple Sealings. In moments like Sienna's blessing I begin to understand how much my earthly and heavenly family love me.

  

-Dooney