"If I Had a Day That I Could Give You"

"I'd give to you a day just like today"

Those words from John Denver's "Sunshine on my Shoulder" are the ones I remember floating through my head eight years ago as I snuggled my sleeping baby girl on her blessing day.  The words were in my head again last Saturday after she was baptized. 

Perfect days.  The kind I wish for Lucy again and again. 

We were driving together Friday night before her baptism and I casually said something like, "Tomorrow will be such a special day."

"The most special day of my life!"  she said from the backseat, emphasizing "the most," to help me put things in proper prospective.  =) 

I'd been anticipating that our Saturday would start out as a "get ready for 60 people to come to lunch" rush.  And it did.  Until I took a deep breath, opened up the windows, and pushed play on Love Is Spoken Here.  Lunch subsequently took it's proper position on the back burner of my mind and I loved those few morning hours at home with my girl, anticipating the day's truly special occasion. 

"Whenever I hear the song of a bird...I know Heavenly Father loves me"

"I feel my Savior's love in all the world around me"

"Loud may the sound of hope ring till all doubt departs"

"Where love is, there God is also"

"When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time"

The truth and joy of all those beloved phrases accumulated in my heart, and multiplied exponentially when I walked into the chapel and saw so many dear friends and family, present to celebrate with us.  It wasn't that I didn't know they were all coming.  It was just that the joy of having them all there was truly profound. 

After mingling for a moment with friends and family in the chapel, Lucy and I walked together down the hall to retrieve my scriptures.  I said something like, "Isn't it wonderful to be with all these people we love!?"  She nodded vigorously.  "How could it be more special!?"  she asked, and then added with enthusiasm, "and there's even more than on this earth!" 

My heart ached with gratitude and I thought of President Reneer's comment to me after Wes's funeral.  "The veil is thin.  It is real, but it is thin."  I was so grateful that Lucy could feel that.

I sat by her and Spencer and my dad as the meeting started.  Lucy shot me a smile as we sang the first phrases of, "I like to look for rainbows."  I looked at her with tears in my eyes at the end of the verse, only to see her blinking back her own.

"I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain,

I want to be the best I can and live with God again." 

My dad baptized Lucy.

And I can't think of sweeter Father's Day pictures to post than these.

I dried her off and, with a full heart, helped her into her sweet new dress...

... made from her daddy's white shirt.

Needless to say, I cried a silent stream of tears as I did up the back buttons of that darling white dress.

 

It was lovingly sewn by our dear, and so, so talented friend Danielle.  Lots could be said about the quality and sweet details of the dress, and of the hours Danielle put into it.  Lucy loves it (it passes the twirl test with flying colors =),

and I am so g r a t e f u l to Danielle for making my timid little vision into a  b e a u t i f u l reality. 

          

After the baptism, Spencer sang (with all his heart and soul) the first verse of "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus," and Lucy sang the second verse with her two of her sweet cousins. 

And then she was given the gift of the Holy Ghost.  By the laying on of hands.  By those who are in authority.  And if that is not the blessing of all blessings, then I'm not sure what is.

We came back and sat under the shade of the canopies the Leavitt's had erected for us in the backyard.  Bless them.

There was much happy conversation, much good food (including meatballs Spencer refused to eat until all the sauce was wiped off with a napkin.),

 

 and many sweet gifts. 

   

Like the amazing little doll Rebecca made (out of paper!).

      

 

And the beautiful butterfly picture from Isaac.

And the perfect picture book from Mark and Michelle.

And let's talk a little about the cakes Susan made:

No words. 

Except to say that moments like this were happening all day:



It really was a beautiful, beautiful day. 

 

(showing her locket to cousin Parker)

So many sweet moments to remember.  Like Lucy's early morning shouting for Spencer and me to "come quick!"  and see our first daylily blossom of the summer.

And I will long love the memory of Lucy shyly carrying around a box of her favorite orange dreamsicles, offering them to guests but never getting to eat one because I kept whisking her away for pictures.  What a patient girl.

finally!

Sweetest, best day.  So many thoughtful kindnesses shown us:  dear friends dropping over to mow and edge our lawn on a few days before, the cookies my neighbor sent even though she and her family couldn't come to lunch, the light bulbs and batteries Heather and Royce changed for us, the new filter and tank of gas Ryan bought, the cleaning my sister helped me with - on top of watching Spencer so I could have a little pre-baptism date with Lucy, chairs and blankets my dad hauled down the day before, the ice chests and chairs the Leavitts brought, the far away friends who sent notes in the mail or over the phone.

Can't even describe how meaningful all of those - and many other - things were to me.  Are. 

And Lucy was so sincerely grateful to be surrounded by so much love.  I smiled and shook my head as she raced most departing cars down the street, so sad to wave goodbye to anyone. 

I love (love, love, love) this sweet, beautiful girl. 



 

(And hope that someday she'll count the number of times I've used the words sweet and beautiful in this post and know that those words really are descriptive of the goodness in her soul, and the feelings of the Spirit, both =)