The one about Halle's baptism

My baby girl turned eight!!

I've been meaning to blog about it for almost 6 months now but "better late than never" is gonna have to work here.  It was just way too special to forget about.

 

The day before Halle's birthday, we threw her a friends party.  The girls watched Halle's fave movie "Soul Surfer" while they each got a pedicure.  Then they all decorated and ate their own pizzas. Halle's idol, her first grade teacher, came and helped us out.  How amazing of a teacher, right?  I know it meant a LOT to Hall.  Thanks so much, Audrey!!

Halle and her very-loved teacher

decorating pizzas

opening gifts

the birthday girl and friends

After the party I took Halle on a surprise date with 2 of her favorite people in the world; her cousin Bailee and aunt Emilee.

We told her we were going shopping, but once we got there we let her in on the REAL surprise...that we were GETTING HER EAR'S PIERCED!

"Reeeeeallly!?!?!!?"

"This is going to hurt, huh?"

This is a little girl who has been asking for her ear's pierced since she could talk.

However, after the initial thrill, she became terrified.  It took a LONG time for all of us to coax her into that chair... 

finally made it to the chair

 Bribery, lots of encouragement and tears later...she finally DID IT!!

 I loved it because after she recovered she was so happy. She just kept looking in mirrors with a huge smile. I could tell she felt really pretty.  Awesome.

Team Halle

 Finally, the big day arrived.  Halle had decided that she wanted to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  

 Halle and I searched online for a year, looking for that perfect white baptism dress. As it turned out, I was happy we never found one.  Instead Halle helped me design a dress.  It was only in my head  and drawn on a little paper, and there was no pattern. Halle was so patient with me as I pinned and repinned the fabric on her, drawing the seams.  She had to try it on over and over. Many times I stitched by hand with her IN it.  :)  Hopefully it will always be an important thing to her.  I think it turned out perfect and was happy I was able to do that for her.

As she got ready the morning of the baptism I got out her baby blessing dressand my wedding dress. I then gave her the following poem by Linda Gay Perry Nelson:

My mom bought me a white dress,
Not red or pink or blue.
She said it was a special dress
Like very other few,

There has been just one before,
A dress now put away,
That I wore some time ago
Upon my blessing day.

As a little baby clothed 

In my first white dress,
My dad held me in his arms,
There to name and bless.

So pure and clean was I just then,
With time to grow and learn
About the Father's plan for me.
My glory I must earn.

Now I've reached the age to judge
The wrong road from the right,
And I am here to be baptized
In this dress of white.

So once again I'm free from sin.
The path is clear to me.
  I'll grasp the rod and hold on tight,             I vow with certainty.

Just as mud would stain my dress,
Sin would stain my soul.
The key is to repent or bleach,
For whiteness is my goal.

And if I try my very best,
Then richly blessed I'll be,
Wearing inside God's holy house
White dress number three,

So today I make this pledge:
I'll strive to choose the right,
Through this sacred baptism ordinance
In my second dress of white. 

 I swear it was yesterday

 It was a very special morning to me.  It feels like I dressed her in her "1st white dress" such a short time ago.  My heart was very, very full as I helped her into that dress.  My lovely daughter was grown up and was making such an important decision.  I am so proud of her.















After we were all ready, we left for the church.  I helped Halle into her baptism suit and then left her with her Daddy to finish getting ready. He looked so proud of his little girl and was so tender with her.

 

We had tons of friends and family show up to support Halle.  My brother John even came!  He had been training with the military and made a special trip!  

Uncle John!!

My aunt Jana made it as well, and just barely in time.  I guess she had heard wrong and thought the baptism was going to take place in another town.  When she realized where we were, she rushed as quickly as possible.  She told me it was like "the parting of the red sea."  She hit absolutely no traffic (unheard of with all the construction) and only green lights. If she had been even one minute later, she would have missed it. Apparently Heavenly Father wanted Halle's day to be perfect as well :)

Halle wanted to be baptised by her Daddy.  Her uncles John and Tucker were the witnesses.

After the baptism Halle was so happy.  "It's over already!  I want to do that again!"  She was giddy and so fun to be around.  Right away Ora, Jessica and I started drying, curling and pinning up her hair.  Halle and I had been practicing this part for weeks.  We nailed it.

 We came out of the dressing room together and found Kevin there waiting for us.  He scooped up Halle into a big Daddy hug.  I got teary eyed watching, knowing there wasn't another person in the world I'd rather be my daughter's father. We are two lucky girls.

As Halle walked into the room where everyone was waiting for the confirmation, I heard gasps.  I certainly already though she looked beautiful, but when I heard that I knew I wasn't just being a biased mother.  She was stunning.  

 

   

 

Halle was confirmed by her Dad as well.  In the circle was Grandpas Dave, Kevin Sr, and Don; Uncles John, Damon, Patrick, Justin, and Tucker; friends Micah, Leo and Bishop Kemp.

Afterward we went outside for a group pictures.

See how many people love my Halle?

Nicole

Emmy

the Taylors

Bailee+Halle=BFF

Gma &Gpa "Suzette"

The Johnson's

the Willmore's

J

Gma & Gpa Farr

Great Gma Farr

Stacy

Jana!!

Grandma Joy

4 generations

Gma D'anne

the Rigg's

the Argyle's

Aummie

the Campbell's

the other mother ;)

John aka "Buzz"

daddy

Gma &Gpa B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our girl

our pride & joy

The Farr 5!

me & my Hall

We then went out to lunch at Halle's fave place to eat- Golden Corral.  Halle then went and played at Bailee's and Kevin and I ran home to work on her birthday surprise gift from us- HER VERY OWN ROOM!!!

She was sooo happy when she came home.  Check out the reaction :)

the boys in their new room

I thought the weekend ended up perfectly.  I hope that Halle felt like a million dollars and knows how very much she is loved by her friends and family.  

LOVE YOU SO MUCH, 

BABY GIRL!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The one with some extras

Here are a few extras from Halls baptism photo shoot.  We had a lot of fun taking these :)

I sure do love this girl!

The one about a Valentine's Day Grinch

The kids had their school Valentine's parties at school on Friday.

Halle wanted to use the same box that I made last year.  I guess she had been storing her letters from friends under her bed in it all year.  Woot woot!  That made it nice and easy :D

For her Valentine's, we made mini mailboxes.  I saw the idea on pinterest but we added an envelope with a teeny little letter inside, "Happy <3 Day!  Love, Halle".  I have a weakness for all things miniature, you know.  These were totally out of control cute.

For Drew, I found an idea online for a tissue box with teeth for a Valentine box.  I took that idea, added an opening mouth, eyes, nose, arms, horns and a "thank you" sign. Drew LOVED it!  Ok, I admit, I loved it too.

 

His Valentine's were from pinterest (I LOVE YOU pinterest!)  These little super hero suckers. "Have a Super Valentine's Day!"  Love.

These types of things- making fun things with the kids- are what makes V-Day great to me.

Wanna know something else? Something pretty uncharacteristic of themarfarr? This year I may have decided that I don't like Valentines Day!  It's true!

No, it does NOT have anything to do with waiting until almost 4 AM for my Valentine to get home from work so we could eat our heart shaped pizza together.  True, I was sad about it, but not necessarily because it was "Valentine's".  It was because I'm worried sick about Kevs.  He is working way too hard.  Last week he was home after 3:30 AM four of the five school nights.  His schedule just keeps getting more and more ridiculous. It didn't help either, waiting hour after hour, with my baby having a seizure every 3-15 minutes.  Bleh.  It really was a long night.

But no, that's not why I don't like the holiday. 

It's because it's pointless.  I mean, Kev and I love each other, right?  He knows I love him.  I know he loves me.  He brings home roses here and there.  We write love notes/texts all the time.  Sometimes I surprise him with a specail dinner (always in the middle of the night).  Every Saturday we go on a date together.

So then February 14th comes along and now we have to throw something together to tell each other "I love you." When you are already telling him/her it's just forced ... and pointless.

You may call me the Valentine's Day Grinch.

ha.

Maybe i am feeling this way cuz I'm tired and overwhelmed and crabby. Or not. Maybe next year I will like it again. We'll see.

Cheerio!

The one about juggling

Sick.

So sick of being sick.

I have had the flu 3 times this year. Averaging once a week so far in 2012. Awesome :P So far Kev's had it once, Halle and Drew each twice, and Dawson once. He is on my arm right now, still whimpering and moaning in his sleep. Poor little guy.

Anyway, between all that and cleaning up carpets and recleaning towells and bedding, I feel like I haven't done much else for a while.

Today I have that after-flu-belly-ache and general crummy achy shakiness. Trying to not over do it, I am laying here blogging. Trying to ignore the things I feel I should be getting done.

Anyway.

I have decided to start another blog. I want this blog to be our "regular" blog, full of family memories etc. The other blog will be for epilepsy; updates on the kids, a collection of inspiration I have found to keep me going, some memories of what we've been through already, but mainly just to vent. Sooo many times over the last few years when things have been particularly difficult, I have felt the need to write. It is so therapeutic. I sorta wish I would've kept it together in a blog years ago.

I feel like I need -for me- to keep the two blogs separate. I want to look back someday, read this blog and know that 1) we kept going even when it was tough. We still celebrated, spent time together and didn't focus or dramatize the hard stuff.

At the same time I need to know that 2) I wasn't afraid to talk about the hard stuff. I was real. We went through some really hard things. We faced them and came out stronger.

To be honest, it's the main reason I haven't been blogging. (being too busy is only half the story) I didn't want the focus of "themarfarr" to be epilepsy. But that HAS BEEN SO MUCH of my life.. How do I leave it out?

Finding the balance between these two things- Being upbeat and positive AND being real- has been quite the juggle this last year. I believe BOTH of them are crucial, and equal in importance. I don't know how well I always do with either but I sure as heck try my best.

Anyway right now I am heading over there. It'll prob take a while to end up looking how I'd like it but if you feel like checking it out, head over to

www.weloveitanyway.blogspot.com

See ya ... here or there :)