in our church program for young women (ages 12-18) we have a night once a year called new beginnings. my friend bianca is part of the yws program in her ward and they decided to base theirs around the three white dresses in a womans life. what a wonderful idea! bianca asked me if she could borrow mine as her baptism and blessing dresses are still at her parents house in south africa and her wedding dress wasn't completely white. so out they came - along with maddie's blessing dress as mine isn't really in a displayable state, it was so long that i could play in it for years - for so long that i can actually remember doing so!
a beautiful display was made by the leaders with things about family and the temple and eternal marriage with our dresses set up at one end. each of the girls mothers wrote them a letter remembering their blessing and baptismal days and detailing their hopes and dreams for them and their desire for them to have a temple marriage in the years to come. none of the girls knew what was coming - and as the night went on there were tears of joy as they read their letters and participated in the activities of the evening. it sounds like it would have been the most amazing night and i am totally filing away the ideas for if i am ever called back into young womens!
i found this picture above from ken corbett art (which is available to purchase here) when we were talking about the activity originally and saved it, along with the poem, i have seen the poem before and thought how lovely it would be to give to one of my nieces and my own girls on their baptism day. i am sure maddie's will be here before we know it!
bianca is the best kind of friend. my dresses were returned the next day along with this beauty. the best chocolate there is. yummm.
