Just The Thing I Want To Do

We celebrated Jeff's birthday this weekend.  He gets better looking every year, I swear.  I didn't think it was possible, but it must be, because it is happening before my very eyes.  In addition to being hott damn (not a swear word, just an affectionate phrase,) he is nicer, smarter, happier, and more inspiring.  I love that I have a live-in example of the person I want to be.  The coolest thing about celebrating Jeff's birthday is that it was the same day as Daisy's baptism!

 We had waffles (Jeff's favorite...my LEAST favorite to make) for birthday breakfast and then spent the morning getting ready for Daisy's baptism and luncheon.  She was so excited to get so many sweet gifts from everyone.

 Grandpa and Grandma had to miss stake meetings to be here, but they wouldn't have missed it.  Grandma spoke about the Holy Ghost and brought YUMMY soup for lunch.

 We were so glad to have Great-Grandma Mary there with us.  Grandma JoAnn made our favorite chicken noodle soup and spoke about baptism.

 The birthday boy and the baptism girl.  These two are so much alike they make me giggle.  Daisy is a girl version of Jeff.

 She was starting to get a little nervous as the service started.  They didn't think there was enough water in the font.  But she sat down by Jeff and I and calmed right down.

 Daisy and Levi sang a special musical number with their cousins Ashlyn and Dawson.  Karson and Aunt Kandi played the piano.  Afterward we celebrated with soup and salad for lunch.  Daisy got to open more gifts and we got to visit with everyone. 

 As we have been preparing for this day, I have been thinking of what a privilege it is to belong to this church.  So few of Heavenly Father's many children have had the blessing of the gospel in this life.  I am so thankful, eternally so, that we get to enjoy the many blessings of the gospel every day.  Daisy has been looking forward to living the gospel more fully in her life.  She has been asking about fasting for a few months, and when she realized that Fast Sunday was the day after her baptism, she was thrilled.  She opened her fast on Saturday night, and then we went to Fast and Testimony meeting on Sunday morning.  After church when we were making lunch for the boys, she asked how long she was supposed to fast.  I explained a few things about fasting to her and then told her she could decide how long she thought she could fast, and since it was her first time, there were really no set requirements.  She finally broke her fast at 4:00 that afternoon.  I was so proud of her!  She is also so excited to bear her testimony in sacrament meeting, have her own scriptures, and pay tithing.  In fact, she took one of the checks her grandma gave her for her baptism with her to church the next day to give to the bishop.  I explained that she needed to cash the check first since it was made out to her, but her enthusiasm and generosity made me smile.

I am reminded every day as I am able to be at home with my kids, but on special occasions like these, the words of the Savior echo in my mind, "Behold your little ones."  Yes, I will.  And I am ever grateful for the privilege.