John's Baptism!

John was Baptised on Sunday during a very special ceremony at Old St. Patrick's in Chicago.  This is the same church were Marin and Emilie were baptized, and it is a very special place, and is the oldest public building in Chicago.  I am delighted that John was welcomed into our faith in such a wonderful church.  Father Tom Hurley officiated the ceremony and it was very lovely and joyous.   Six other children were baptized at the same time, although it still felt very thoughtful and unique for our John John.

We asked Molly and Brian to be John's Godparents.  After our family, Molly and Brian are our nearest and dearest.  We know that they will be excellent examples to John and we hope that he grows up to be just like him.  Molly can teach John about true and lasting friendship, work ethic, dedication and maybe how to cook the perfect dinner dish. :)  These are just some of the things that make Molly so amazing.  Bri can teach John about being kind and generous, a great listener, a good friend, how to be resorseful and maybe a share a few jokes along the way.  We know that they will be very close, just as our girls are to Molly and Bri.  Jason just says that they can't influence him to be a Patriots fan.  :)

We celebrated with brunch at Wishbone after the ceremony.  I made floral arrangements for the tables and we had a beautiful cake and a delicious meal.  Jason and I were especially honored that both of our Godparents were there with us as well.  After I thanked everyone for coming and said what an honor it was to have Molly and Brian as John's Godparents, I asked Uncle Reed, my Godfather, to say a few words of prayer.  He wished for John to have a wonderful family, and togetherness as we had sitting at the table at that minute.  We all raised our mimosas in a toast and celebration to John.

John wore the same gown that Jake was baptized in.  It was really special to pass that on to him, and hopefully we will be able to pass it down to the next generation as well.  I had to Oxyclean it about six times though, so hopefully it makes it that long. John was wrapped in a white blanket that my great grandma, John's great great grandma, made and was given to me by my grandma.

It was such a special day for John and a wonderful one for our family!  A day for John that, along with the day he was born, I'll always remember with extreme love and fondness.  He was a perfect angel, and didn't make a single peep the entire time.  Molly and Brian took turns holding him and he was perfectly behaved.  Truly an angel.

Emilie's Baptismal Day!

Last Sunday was Emilie's first celebratory day dedicated only to her! It was her baptismal day; and it was gorgeous from start to finish.

Emilie was baptized at 4pm at Old St. Patrick's Church in Chicago, where Marin was baptized, wearing the same gown. Old St. Pat's is a very special church to our family, and I was overjoyed that Emilie was able to be welcomed into our faith at this beautiful church, the oldest public building in Chicago. It was a lovely ceremony, where four other children (all boys) were also baptized. Emilie did very well, and didn't cry a peep when the water was poured over her head. And, when the priest anointed her with the oils, she beamed up at him with wide eyes.

Since the ceremony was later in the day, and downtown, we celebrated with an 11am brunch at our house preceding the ceremony. We put a large canopy in the backyard and decorated tables to sit underneath it in the shade. But, at over 90 degrees in the shade, many people chose to be indoors as well. I made cheddar-dill scones, carrot muffins with an orange zest frosting, banana crunch muffins and zucchini bread, as well as ham and asparagus strata, yogurt and granola parfaits, asparagus spears, and a fruit platter. I also made a watermelon, lime and mint drink to beat the heat, and no brunch would be complete without mimosas. Along with cake, we had my moms famous lemon squares for dessert, and, just as she did for Marin's baptism, my sweet, sweet grandmother, at 93, brought an array of her famous sugar cookie cutouts, frosted and decorated to perfection.

It was a special day, attended by so many special people in our lives; a wonderful way for Emilie to begin her faith journey. We asked our dear friend Mike, to be Emilie's godfather, and Jason's sister, Lindsay to be her godmother. We know that they will be wonderful examples to Emilie, in both faith and character. She is a very lucky little girl to be loved so much by so many people!

It was a special day I know I'll never forget!