Birthday Girl

Bethany turned eight last week and was baptized on Saturday. Thank you to all of our sweet family family members for driving from near & far for our special day. It meant so much to us to have you all here.

We had a rainstorm the night before with lots of lightning & the loudest thunder I've heard in years. My girls slept through the whole thing, but it made our opening song, "I Like to Look for Rainbows" more memorable to me. I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. Bethany looked beautiful in her new white dress, new white sandals, freshly pedicured toes, new necklace & bracelet from Grandma Carla & new headband from Aunt Jena. (She also had a new haircut from the Paul Mitchell Hair School, but that's another story...) She was so happy all day. She just smiled & walked around with a spring in her step that was more like a high jump.

Both of her Grandmothers gave beautiful, touching talks, that were perfectly appropriate for a baptism and for an eight-year old. I was reminded of Elder Bednar's talk recently about the basic doctrines of the gospel and how the closer we are to the Spirit, the more we will want to learn about and study and understand those fundamental doctrines. (I'll look up the talk.) Carly and Rachel sang "Baptism" (Jesus came to John the baptist in Judea long ago...), my all-time favorite baptism song. It was lovely. I wish I could afford to treat you two to a day at the spa or a shopping spree in appreciation, but I hope you know how grateful I am to you both and how much you brought the Spirit to that room.

Dinner afterwards was easy and delicious thanks to everyone bringing salads, fruit, beans, etc. We drank gallons of homemade root beer and watched the cousins swarm our hillside. It was a beautiful day in so many ways. One I will never forget. It feels like I am entering into a new phase of motherhood. Letting go a little more, letting my children make their own decisions and be accountable for them. It's scary, but exciting. I know that this is the Lord's plan. I wonder if he has the same feelings about us, wondering if we're ready, if he's taught us enough. But of course, he knows we are and he knows he has and will continue to teach us. I pray for the faith to raise my daughters (& soon - son!) in the way my Heavenly Father wants me to, so that they'll be ready when decisions come that they need to make entirely on their own. That they'll have the testimony they need to seek their Father's help and follow their Brother's example when those hard decisions come. The beauty of the gospel is that even though I must let my children make their own choices someday, they do not really need to make those choices alone, they have perfect parents who will lead and guide them when I fall short. I hope that I can just show them where to look and who to follow. Its seems as though only yesterday we were holding Bethany in our arms and taking her to church for her baby blessing and now she has taken her own first steps in her journey back home. I am just grateful that I get to walk this path with her.

One more picture, I know Matthew's blinking in it, but everyone always says how much Bethany looks like me, so I thought I'd post this & ask, where do you think Bethany got her eyes?