April: He is Risen

April has been a really busy month for our little family.  We are finally un-packed and settled in our house. We really like our new ward and I already have a calling as a visiting teacher (I think Dave is jealous I already have a calling and he doesn't.)

One of my favorite April occasions is General Conference.  I was so excited to listen to all of the speakers and I felt like each talk was directed toward me in some way.

We blessed Peyton the week after conference in our old ward.  It was a very good, but solemn meeting for me because it was our last week in our "old" ward.  We were really sad to move and leave our callings and our friends.

As some readers know, I made Peyton's blessing dress from my wedding dress. Everyone who hears that I cut up my wedding dress asks me if it was a hard thing to do.  I wish I could say it was the hardest thing I have ever done... BUT I loved cutting it up knowing that my little girl would be wearing it for her blessing day.  There are only a few options a girl has after her wedding day is over and her wedding dress is back from the cleaners...

- either you let it sit in your closet for 20 years slowly turning yellow and providing moth's with nourishment hoping that someday your little girl will want to wear it on her big day, provided it is still in fashion...

- sell it for a couple hundred dollars LESS than what you originally bought it for so that you and your husband can buy that really cool 3D TV you saw at the store...

- or, you can rip it apart and sew it into something adorable that your little children can wear and hold onto as a memento of you when you are gone.

So, that is exactly what I did. I don't know who gave me the idea, or if I came up with it on my own, but I knew when I bought the dress that I would be taking it apart for my children's blessing outfits.  I don't know if I will have enough satin for each of my children's WHOLE blessing outfits, like I did Peyton's,  but I can use bits and pieces on each one.
I have to give credit to my Grandma Hicks who helped me by cutting out the pattern and buying the lace and my friend, Maryann, who taught me how to sew a placket.




The top of the dress with the headband draped over it.
The shiney star on the headband was one of three on my dress
around the waist.



The top again--this was the HARDEST part



We have an amazing family support system. Sadly our pictures didn't turn out the best and most of them are blury... here is one with both of my parent's, parent's.

Easter was a lot of fun for Dave and I. We found an adorable little "Easter dress" for Peyton while at HAFB and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity for Peyton to wear a cute, formal, modest, little dress.  Dave thought it would be cute to put her in an Easter basket- so we did.

We sure love our smiley baby girl.