Alaska: Day 12--Calvin's Blessing

Calvin is our oldest baby to be blessed at 3 1/2 months. Some people have asked why we waited to do it in Alaska. Easy. The trip to Alaska was planned first. Once we decided our family was definitely going up there, we invited Jared's parents to join us (just in case Mom and Dad sell their house before we get another chance to visit). Then I got pregnant. Early in the pregnancy it dawned on me that both our parents, dads especially, would be in the same place at the same time when Calvin would be 3 months old (older than a newborn, but not too old). So instead of asking both sets of parents to make extra trips to Oregon (after already coming to Jake's baptism in March and the birth of Calvin in May) we decided to bless him in Alaska.

Fortunately, my parents' Bishop (and an old friend) was most gracious in allowing us to do so. Not only in a ward that we didn't live in, but also on a regular Sunday. Come to think of it though...none of my children have been blessed on Fast Sunday. Jake was blessed at 2 weeks old...in the middle of January because that's when my parents could come to Illinois. Cooper was blessed when he was 6 days old (I remember getting flack for showing up 6 days after delivery...was even told I looked awful. Boy, some people sure know how to make you feel good!) Again, it was the only time both dads could make it to Michigan. Karcyn was blessed at 1 month...the Sunday before Easter because that's when the dads could make it. And Calvin got to wait a little longer. Because of it, our baby boy blessing outfit was a tad too small for this "beast". Instead, he wore Uncle Mike's blessing outfit and it was a perfect fit. Too bad he had a blow out (one of only a handful in his lifetime) and turned part of a leg opening yellow. (Sorry, Mike.)

So off to South Anchorage High School we went again for church and this special day among squeaky bleachers. It was also Karole's 60th birthday. Then Jared and our dads and the Bishopric went up to center stage to give Calvin a name and a blessing...Calvin Wray Hough. It was the perfect blessing. Not too short, not too long. Calvin was absolutely perfect during the prayer. He had been asleep but woke up and was still quiet. And now, I feel like he's really official.

Another funny thing about our baby blessing days....we have less than desirable family pictures to capture the moment. We got a couple nice ones with Jacob. I guess there's no excuse not to. He was an only child at the time. We almost forgot to take a picture of us with Cooper. It was on our couch in Kalamazoo as an after thought. Jake and Jared both were already out of their church clothes. We got a couple nice ones with Karcyn, but we're missing one of our sons. Cooper probably. So we don't even have the full family. And Calvin's, well, you'll see. And we never got just a picture of the baby in their blessing outfit. Good grief. I guess I'm just not much of a memory maker with the camera. Nor are we all posers. Though with 3 different cameras to look at, it's hard to know when to smile and where to look. Ah well. I guess we were making memories after all.