Surrounded by a righteous generation

There is a beautiful feeling in a home when a new baby arrives. Regardless of how our babies have entered our home, the newborn baby spirit is miraculous. They are so fresh from heaven, and it is easy to feel the love of a wonderful Heavenly Father, as you hold one of His precious children. This last week in our home has been filled with countless reminders of the Lord's tender mercies to our family. Miracles have been handed to us, and we are forever grateful.

My BOYS:

 When we married, and started talking about children, Jacob was at the top of our pick of names. Shortly before Lincoln arrived, we knew he wasn't Jacob. We knew he was Lincoln Daniel. Abraham Lincoln and Uncle Dan are two men that he can learn from, and follow in their footsteps. They are men who have a deeply rooted belief in a Supreme Being. By following the examples they have set, he will have the ability to make the right choices; even if he is doing it alone. By learning from them, he will become a righteous young man who loves the Lord. When we found out about Henry, we talked about the name Jacob again. It was still the top of our list (and the rest of America's list too!!!), but we knew he wasn't Jacob. We knew he was Henry Louis. By being named after incredible men who love the Lord, we know that if he becomes even half as wonderful as his Papa, and Henry B Eyring he will become a righteous young man who loves the Lord.

When we were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital waiting for our little girl to be born, I had an inner conflict.  I kept asking David, what do you think about the name Jacob? He kept reminding me that we were having a little girl. This conversation went on for over an hour. I could not rid myself of talking about a baby we would welcome to our family someday, even though the little girl who was coming was not yet born. The hoping for a little boy who would not be here for, what I thought was a long time, should have felt selfish but it didn't. It felt right. When Grandma Toni came to get us and said, "There is a surprise! It's a boy," peace flooded my entire body, and I know the Lord had prepared me for our beautiful Jacob. He has a strong spirit; one that I can feel as I hold him close to me. When I looked at his 10 lb 15 oz body, I knew we had our long-awaited Jacob Ladd. Not that this should come as a surprise, but he too is named after two incredible men. Grandpa Jay Ladd (Ladd being one of my favorite names for the last 6 years) and  Jacob, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, have incredible faith. I know as Jacob learns from the teachings in the Book of Mormon, a book I know to be true, and as he follows the love of God found in Jacob and Grandpa's examples he will grow up to be a righteous young man who loves the Lord.

Above all, I hope my boys follow the example of my Sweetheart, David. He is a righteous man, who loves the Lord above all else. He loves me, and he loves our boys. I know as they follow in his footsteps, they will  be following the example set by Jesus Christ.  I know that as my sons follow the example of their daddy, they will become the men the Lord intends them to be.

Today, I find myself surrounded by an incredible army of righteous spirits. These young boys, that I get to raise, and  the wonderful man that I get to spend eternity with are more than I could have ever asked for.I feel the Lord teaching me daily about the things we need to teach our children to prepare them for eternity. I feel the beautiful burden that comes with raising future missionaries, and future husbands, and future daddies. I feel the rewards of being a wife and a mother, and ...

I feel humbled by my beautiful life.