A letter to Baby Bee: A name and a blessing

Dear Baby Bee,
On Sunday July 29, 2012 you were given a name and a blessing by your father. It was a special day for our family and you looked absolutely angelic in the blessing dress Grandma Noni crocheted especially for you. The dress fit you perfectly and we were glad Grandma was able to be there for the blessing. At the end of the blessing you sneezed right in to the microphone! You really are so cute, even when it's by accident. After the blessing we had lunch down on the pool patio with family and friends who were there to celebrate you. There is no doubt, little one, that you are loved.

We carefully chose and gave you the name Phoebe, and we think it's a special one. Early in my pregnancy your dad and I were in Midway, UT, probably looking to satisfy a Mexican food craving of mine, when we drove past the Bonner Corners. The name Phoebe popped into my head and I mentally put it on our Baby Girl name list. I told Grandma that we were thinking about the name Phoebe and, of course, she became all happy crazy about it. The news spread to Aunt Sybil and before long a large envelope arrived at our house that contained original photographs of my great great grandparents George and Phoebe Bonner of Midway, UT. She also included photocopies of grandma Phoebe's handwritten autobiography.

That night we sat together on the edge of our bed as I read out loud her autobiography. Grandma Phoebe poured her heart onto those pages and spoke of blessings and trials from her life. She wrote:

I have a strong and abiding faith in and a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which I have gained by the power and the manifestations of God. 

Tears flowed down both of our cheeks and your dad and I knew that she was a special person with a special name. The name Phoebe is feminine, strong, timeless, and we believe it suits you perfectly. It has a wonderful family heritage and we love that there will always be a historical landmark, the Bonner home in Midway, that will connect you to the physical place where grandma Phoebe lived. The name Phoebe means bright and shining one, and indeed you are my little one.