The collection is growing

First, could one of you please send me a tutorial on how to put many many pictures up on one blog post? Jessa, you did an amazing photo essay on Sea world, HOW DID YOU DO THAT? I have many more photos to my collection to share, but don't know how to share them...

o.k., now that I've cried for help, here goes.

When we were waiting for Lucy to come, and as we nurtured Molly in our home, it occurred to me that the make-up of our family would not look like most other families. We would have children who do not fit the biological mold of their parents-some would look like us, and some would not. This didn't bother me a lick, but I did desire some way to instill in us a family identity-something that made us unmistakeably belong to each other.

That something was a covenant, performed in a sacred temple, which binds our children -adopted or otherwise- to us for the rest of this life and into forever. That is the binding strength and power of special promises made in temples that now dot the earth. The power for these promises to have effect is centered in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

He makes this forever minded covenant possible. And I am humbly thankful to have a glimpse of understanding into that truth.

While this is the power of the covenant, and the center of what makes us a family, I-in my propaganda promoting motherhood-sought some way to emphasize and remind our family that we are all in this together. My choice was to collect the initial of our last name "G" and place the letter G in many forms around our home. It began with a painting I made, with the help of my gifted mom-in-law, for John at Christmas in 2006.

Since then, my collection has grown.

I wear a silver stamped "G" on a chain around my neck. there are G's dotting the landscape of our home in most every room. And what has made the collecting more fun has been the support and encouragement of friends as I"ve shared my interest in collecting and propagating our family initial.

In the pictures you see here please note the darling crochet coasters, given to me by a dear friend, Jill, and the very stylish way she finished said gifts with G's in different fonts. A friend from Africa sent a stitched G to me last winter, and it adorns our picture wall where I see it most every day. I woman who I've come to know stopped at my door when only an acquaintance, and handed me two darling "G's" that she had seen when on a trip. she had heard about my purpose in collecting and wanted to support it. Another friend brought magnets for the fridge, and Erin brought the fab green and yellow G that stands centinal in the guest room. The list of gifted G's goes on and on...

-again I insert my need to know how to post more than a few pictures at a time-

I love these special gifts. Not only because they add fuel to my family identity fire, but also because they have come from supportive friends, who in their small gestures of kindness have encouraged me in my efforts to keep my family solidly surrounded by the reminder that we belong to one another. Bound by power forever, and linked by love day to day. And hopefully reminded, through my fun and enjoyable collecting, that it is great to be a forever Graham.