parks james | baptism
on june 12, parks was welcomed into the catholic faith with lots of love and open arms. it was a day i will always remember; so special. we had about thirty close friends and family members surrounding parks. the sacrament was held at the cathedral of saint patrick, which is the church where i re-connected with my faith when i moved to charlotte nine years ago. it was a very intimate ceremony, with just our loved ones surrounding our baby boy. afterwards, we had a celebration at our home.
here are some photos from the special day.
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
letter board: letter folk
parks wore the gown that has been passed down in the monaco family
my adorable nephew, cameron james
love these two
popi and parksie
these two have my heart
so glad my grandma was able to travel down with my parents from ohio
surprise!!
we really had a little girl
jk.
how cute is my nephew, chase?
his personality is adorable and he LOVES the baby
outside bar
his two great grandmas were both able to be there – and he loves them both dearly.
was also so special to have my close friend from home, nate, there with us
we’ve been friends since kindergarten and our friendship means the world to me
i set up a small ‘kid’s corner’ outside
however, it around 100 degrees that day
but i think they enjoyed the goodies!
{dum dums, chalk, bubbles, frozen fruit snacks, straws, rainbow goldfish, and capri suns}
he has the best godparents.
we laughed so, so hard when we got him dressed in this lace gown, bonnet, and socks!
there were tears.
we are so proud of our faith … so bringing our son into the community made me feel overjoyed all day
my heart was so full during this moment
the day wore out baby boy…
and he’s real ‘holy’ now! 🙂
also, today would have been my grandma leona’s, 102nd birthday – my dad’s mom
i was very young when she passed, but i remember her tenderness and gentle heart fondly
i remember her peanut butter and jelly toast {cut in four squares}, her love for mint chocolate chip ice cream, watching nick at nite, playing memory together… and most of all, how she made me feel like i was the most important person in the world with her warm embrace and calmness. there was one point during the mass {before the baptism} when i looked down to see parks sleeping and saw the sweetest baby smiles forming- they were different than normal and something told me that his loved ones in heaven were giving him small, tender embraces; hugs from above. i know my grandma is with me every single day and oh how i wish she could have seen me grow up. 
yesterday, i posted about my birthday this past weekend. however, my godmother also had a birthday the day after and she posted this:
“The month of June is a special month not just because I WAS BORN, but because some of my most favorite people celebrate their birth during the same month. Growing up and sharing my birthday month with my sweet cousin Jen and our Grandma always made me feel special. I might be a few days early but I want to be the first to wish my sweet Jen a Happy Birth Day. Thanks for all the girl time over the years. Being cousins gave me the chance to have a best friend for life.
Then my aunt & uncle graced me with the privilege of being a Godmother. at the young age of 18, my goddaughter was born the day before I turned 19. Happy Birth Day to you Nelle- you are kind, thoughtful, caring, humble and so deeply sensitive to others. Thanks for teaching me as you grew up before my eyes. Happy Birth day too to my cousin, Jessica, who bounced into the birthday month with such a grin. Your smile and loving energy light up a room. Then having my youngest born in June was a true gift. I’m so proud to be your mom, Audrey. You are strong and sweet in the same breath. And Happy Birth Day to my Sweet Grandma in heaven. I miss your physical presence here so often and then in an instant I can feel you present with me.
Happy Birth Day to Us!”
what a special day it was!
{july 31, 1983}
it was the nicest message to read… especially because all of the attributes she wrote about me are what i remember most about my sweet grandma, leona. and she described my sister perfectly. i also woke up to a message from her, with photos from my baptism day, on the morning of parks’ baptism. she is a woman of faith and such a genuine person. i feel blessed to have such a close-knit and loving family… and am so glad that parks does as well.
baptism details:
my dress | asos
parks’ party outfit | fancy pants
bundt cake | nothing bundt cakes
script name cake topper | etsy
heart cake topper | etsy
banner | etsy
message board | letter folk
invitations | tiny prints
cross cupcake toppers | etsy
flowers | local farmer’s market
gold basket | anthropologie
macaroons | amelie’s french bakery
what a special day it was!
i tried to take in each moment and remember the reason why we were celebrating
i am so glad that i am able to share it with you all…
xo
Comments (6)
The Girl who Loved to Write
June 29, 2016 at 9:34 pm
What a precious day! Also, you look AMAZING!
nelle monaco
June 30, 2016 at 2:29 am
it really was special! thank you SO much! so do you, girl!!!
nelle monaco
June 30, 2016 at 2:29 am
and hope you're loving your new home in florida!
Edye Nicole
June 30, 2016 at 12:55 am
This is the sweetest thing! Such sweet times for you and your family <3
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
nelle monaco
June 30, 2016 at 2:29 am
you are so sweet! thank you so much!!
Rammy Jones
August 17, 2016 at 12:23 pm
I was simply amazed at the architecture of this absolutely beautiful venue!! The environment was unbelievable. I was fortunate enough to visit an event venue Chicago like this, we found awesome things one after another after another.
Comments are closed