Ava's Dedication

Today, I am still basking in the glow of the wonderful weekend we had with our families celebrating Ava's dedication.  Our church holds a simple and casual Saturday morning service, where parents bring their children to be dedicated.  Parents are invited to come with a Bible verse to share, and parents and children are prayed over during the dedication.  I didn't quite know what to expect, as I was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran church and wasn't very familiar with dedication.  But after months of prayer, thought, and conversations with pastors, I came to the conclusion that we should follow the leadership and teachings of our home church and dedicate Ava.  I'm glad we did this.  It was such a sweet time.  We were so blessed that our family came to support us and bless Ava.  My mom and dad, Erik's parents, Erik's brother Andrew and sister-in-law Larissa, my Grandma Dykes, and my brother Ethan and sister-in-law Marissa were with us that day.  Their presence, support, and prayers meant the world to us.  Erik's dad recorded part of the dedication - you can see it below.  As you can tell, Ava was VERY squirmy and talkative throughout the dedication service.  It's really funny, looking back on it!  It was like a lightswitch turned on when we took our seats and the service started.  She kept saying "deet, deet, deet" over and over again, talking and laughing...  She would not be quiet!  I was pretty embarassed and didn't quite know if I should take her out or just let her talk...  I took her out once for a few minutes and she quieted down.  But once I went back in and sat down, she started up again!  I know this is an area where, as a new mom, I need to lighten up.  At least she wasn't crying!  But I don't want to offend the people sitting around us.  I couldn't hear a word for most of the service and I felt like I had been in a wrestling match when the service ended - SO funny!  We were laughing afterwards that, in her own way, Ava was saying, "Here I am, Lord, send me!"  The Holy Spirit really came upon her, so to speak!  She was holding nothing back! 

 After the service, our whole family joined us back at our house for lunch.  Everyone brought a side and I served a ham.  Everything was delicious, and it was fun to share a meal together that everyone had a hand in preparing.  We think we need to do this kind of thing again very soon!  We had a wonderful weekend together.  Erik and I really enjoyed hanging out with our whole family all together.  It was the first time some of our family members had met, so we treasured the time spent laughing, discovering new things about Ava, and celebrating her dedication to the Lord.  We continue to pray that God uses us and others in her life to help guide her steps and teach her about Jesus.  She was given some beautiful children's Bibles this weekend, along with some cute clothes and a new book about duckies (thank you, Ethan and Marissa!).  She also received a beautiful plaque for her wall, as well as a picture frame with words about dedication on it to commemorate the day.  I think God smiled on Ava this past weekend, and we are so grateful for His love and the fact that He really does care very much about His children.