Dedication

In the Nazarene Church we do a "dedication" ceremony for babies as opposed to other religion's christenings, first communion, etc.  It is in this ceremony that we as parent's promise to raise the baby in the church.  The family promises to be a shining example of God's LOVE and direction in the baby's life.  The church promises to LOVE and guide the baby as well.  We hope our church family always shares in the guidance and discipline of our little Maggie Grace. 

It is such a special occasion!  We "Johnston's" named our babies after our maternal grandparents who are shining examples of God's LOVE in our lives.  They are both still very active with their Nazarene Church in Hendersonville, NC.  We were blessed not only to have grandma make their precious outfits but also to have both grandma and grandpa with us for this special day.

Our hearts too were being lifted to our IDAHO family on this day as sweet Carolina, or Lina as she's commonly called, also was dedicated in her church on the same glorious day.  Blessed are we to have family that sings the many praises of our LORD!  We love you Lina and are happy that although the miles separated us, our hearts were joined for such momentous occassion!

Below are pics from our fun day!

Greatgrandma Margaret with baby Maggie Grace.  Great sewing greatgrandma!

Parker's outfit was super detailed too!

The "Johnston" Family

All of Maggie Grace's family in attendance April 15th.

Greatgrands with their namesakes.  Such a priceless picture! 
Donald Boyd with Parker Boyd and Margaret with Margaret!

After the ceremony, we went on a lovely spring picnic.  The weather was supposed to be in the 80s said the meteriologists, but God said blustery 70s.  Oh well, we didn't let it stop the fun and fellowship we woud have that day.



Sweet Baby Girl.



Smiley Little Parker.

Maggie Grace Winn

Parker Boyd Johnston

Magggie was first to get her pictures, and at this point she was DONE.
She was also ready for her lunch, which waits for no-one.

How precious they are together!  Even screaming they are ADORABLE!



Parker's story kinda began here.  This is the park where
Anthony and Jamie wed in 2010.



Our friends, Charlie and Dianne Ellis and the Brown family: Geron, Lydia, Cora, and Cohen, 

joined our picnic.  We were happy Geron and Charlie performed the dedication ceremony, especially since our church has been minus a lead pastor since just after Maggie Grace's birth.  We also LOVE their sweet kids!

Cohen Brown

Cora Brown

Sweet Kidos.  Fast forward a few years and there will be
a couple more kidos in the picture playing in the dirt!

Special thanks to Jamie Johnston for the pics. I'm sure this celebratory day was a bittersweet pill for her to swallow since the tragic passing of her sweet momma just weeks before. We love you Aunt Jamie and are so happy you are part of our growing family!

Spring Has Sprung

Our sweet little butterfly! She is really blossoming in the past two weeks becoming more vocal and gaining more head control. She's had rolling over down almost since birth!


Another picture of our sweet beauty taken at the begnning of spring.

Maggie Grace looks startled but really she was hungry and eyeing her mamma. She wore this sweet dress to a friend's bridal shower the Saturday before Palm Sunday.

Pre-Easter picnic... photos taken at Riverfront Parkway Park on Palm Sunday. We had fun getting the babies out for their first full day of adventures in our 80+ degree weather.

Parker looks so much like his daddy in this picture...

The Saturday before Easter both Maggie and Parker had their own Easter Bunny pictures taken at the church Easter Egg hunt. No hunting eggs for them this year but next year should be lots of fun!

Our Easter baby! Margaret "Maggie" Grace Winn.

She isn't afraid of the flower but was smiling sweetly at it as her daddy reached in to tickle her with the flower, she would pull back and smile wide. So sweet that she is starting to REALLY smile with meaning this week.

Nanny with her sweet girl! She has to snuggle anytime she gets to see her.

At the beginning of our outdoor photo session she was doing okay... the longer we went the hungrier she got.

Maggie Grace had finished her lunch before the pictures for Easter, or so we thought, she wasn't so sure though.

Parker "Bunny" would NOT have his pic taken in his EASTER basket... no way, no how!

Aunt Jamie got Maggie Grace this SWEET headband for Easter... she makes one cute flower!

Parker's mommy got him Bunny Ears, and although they weren't his favorite they were ADORABLE on him and actually fit him REALLY well in addition to coordinating with his romper. Note: He is wearing his daddy's baby shoes... so sweet.

The Winn family... our first Easter as a family of three.

The Johnston family... also their first Easter photo as a family of three.

Nanny with BOTH her babies on Easter Sunday.

Easter

Although we've had three holidays since Maggie Grace's birth: Valentine's Day, President's Day, and St. Patrick's Day, the biggest holiday is yet to come: EASTER. A day when we, as christians, celebrate the new life our Savior has allowed us to live after proclaiming Him as ruler of our lives. We are excited for this great holiday and the celebrations it brings. Last Sunday we joined the Johnston part of the family for a pic of the cousins celebrating their first visit to the Easter Bunny. Here is the pic: Maggie Grace slept thru it and Parker would have none of it...mostly because he was just one hungry baby. This morning Maggie Grace and I, Amanda, joined some other ladies of the church in filling 2000 eggs for the church hunt on Saturday. Maggie doesn't know it yet but she will again meet with the Easter Bunny for her own pic. We'll be sure to post that one too along with other family pics taken this Easter! The re-birth we gain in knowing Christ was re-iterated this year in the birth of our babies reminding us how precious this new life is! Enjoy this Easter season!