Surprises, Books, and Letters

Last Saturday morning Daddy took us all out to breakfast to celebrate Mother's Day. While we were at the restaurant, Daddy and Mommy told me that since we were celebrating virtuous womanhood today and I am growing to be a young woman, they had some gifts to give me that they had been unable to present for my birthday (October 10). Daddy and Mommy surprised me with a book that they have been working on gathering information for since I was about 7. It is a very neat book entitled The ____ Guide to Womanhood (the blank is our last name). Some of the information in the book includes: On Being a Lady, On Being a Wife, On Being a Grandmother, Seven Missions of the Christian Home, Scripture Memory, Keeping the Home, Mealtime, Hospitality, and Femininity. Daddy and Mommy included pictures of me from birth to now, some fun pictures of our family, pictures of my grandmothers, beautiful paintings from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and there is also a sweet picture of me and my sisters with Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin that I really like!





Abby also surprised me with a box full of encouraging letters and yummy recipes from family and friends all over the country.



Thank you very much to every one who wrote me a letter, card, or email. It was so considerate of each of you to want to be a part of my special day. Each letter is encouraging and sweet and I will treasure them forever. I look forward to sharing these precious thoughts with my own daughters one day.
photography by JCPenney

(My 13th birthday pictures, October 2008)

Under the "On Being a Wife" section, there is a covenant that I really like. In it, Daddy and I agree together to seek God's best for me concerning a future life partner. Daddy promises to protect me from unqualified young men, to be diligent to lovingly guard me from even the presence of temptation, to teach me God's principles concerning life and marriage, and to pray for me, seek for me, and communicate with me concerning God's choice of my life partner. I promise to accept his protection and keep myself pure for my husband, to realize that I am capable of being deceived and promise to immediately go to Daddy should any temptation present itself, to listen and learn and wait for God's best for my life, and to seek first the Kingdom of God, look forward to entering a betrothal relationship, and wait for Daddy's blessing before entering into marriage. We have talked about these things for many years, and again when Daddy gave me my ring for my birthday, but I love having it in writing.

Here are some pictures of us signing the covenant, along with some of the men of our church, who signed as witnesses to the covenant.

me, Daddy, and Mommy signing

Mr. C
Mr. S

Mr. M

Mr. B

Mr. B

Mr. C

Mr. F

Mr. G

Mr. L

Thank you to my dear parents and siblings who worked so hard to accomplish such a great task for me. I am overwhelmed!

And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. Ruth 3:11

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. Proverbs 12:4

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10

posted by Sarah