a name and a blessing

Today our daughter received a name and a blessing at our church service.
What this means is that the name we chose for her will be kept on the records of the church, and the blessing given were words from her Heavenly Father facilitated through her earthly father, Ben. Ben performed the blessing and invited a few friends and family members to take part, also. They gathered in a circle around Audrey with their left arm on the shoulder of the person next to them, and their right hand under Audrey as Ben held her. Then Ben gave the prayer to Heavenly Father, first stating the name she will be known by through the church and throughout her life, Audrey Kristine Hubbard, then he proceeded to give a Father's Blessing. The blessing contained special instruction and blessings for Audrey to guide her in her life, and also it gave glimpses into who she is as an eternal being. We know that we are God's children, so we spent time with our Father in Heaven before we came here to earth. These special blessings allow a connection to God to give specific words to His children. The only way they can properly be performed is by someone who holds God's Priesthood power. Ben is one of those who holds the Priesthood of God. This is a tremendous gift in our lives!  I am so grateful to have a husband who understands the great privilege of holding the Priesthood and uses it to better the lives of those around him.
I wanted to explain a bit about the nature of a Baby Blessing so you all can see why it is such a special day for us! So you can see why it is such a special day for Audrey.

The name we chose for our firstborn is Audrey Kristine. The name Audrey means 'noble strength' and the name Kristine means 'follower of Christ'.  In this world of constant commotion, confusion, and choices we want Audrey to learn right from wrong and to have the strength to choose that which is good. We would love her to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He, the ultimate example of love, was entrusted by our Heavenly Father with the responsibility to pave the way for the rest of us. He succeeded in his mission, and we want Audrey to succeed in hers. Though she wont live a perfect life as the Savior did, she has the opportunity to make wrongs right through His Atonement. She also has the opportunity to love and serve as He did.

Audrey Kristine Hubbard!!! 2 months old.

This was the family that attended! My mom drove up with some of my siblings, Andrew, Anna, and Benson. Ben's mom and dad drove down from MT with sister Megan. Ben's cousin Hannah lives in Idaho Falls with her husband and kids Brady, Olivia, and Zachary, so they came, too! We were glad to share this day with them.

Ben and I with our daughter

Some friends joined us as well. Francisco, Michael & Ashley, and Drew & Macy!

Those that were a part of the blessing circle were Ben, Jim(Ben's dad), Chris(Ben's cousin), Drew, Michael, Francisco, and a member of our Bishopric.

It was a sweet day and we are so grateful for our beautiful daughter!

If you want to learn more about a baby blessing, click HERE. This is a site with an idea of how to introduce a baby blessing to older siblings, so it is in the form of a lesson. Feel free to browse lds.org if you have more questions. Or better yet, ask me! :)