Baptism Day

This is what we woke up to Saturday morning...SNOW!  I joked that it was neat our whole city was able to dress up for Liah's baptism :)   The kids couldn't wait to don their snow gear and create snow forts, snow men, snow angels, and snowballs.

Here Liah is on the steps of the Bountiful Tabernacle.  I just realized that so far, everyone in our family has been baptized in a tabernacle.  I was baptized in the Logan Tabernacle, and Bryan, Zerin, and Liah have all been baptized in the Bountiful Tabernacle.

This may be my favorite picture ever of my little girl.  Her Grandma Skelton made her baptism dress...she let Liah design it and pick out the fabric and she made it.  So special!  When I was little, my mom did something special for me that I have passed on to my kids.  Before my baptism, they drove me to the temple and gave me a Book of Mormon with my name on it and my dad's testimony in it.  That little Book of Mormon is one of my most prized treasures.  Bryan took her up to the Bountiful Temple to give her one with Bryan and my testimonies in it...it was a sweet moment for them.  I found a necklace of a Liahona that we gave her.  It was perfect for her :)

 Bryan let Liah pick out his tie...I thought it was cute she picked pink :)  Bryan was very self-conscious that he didn't have a suit on for the baptism, but I thought he still looked really nice.

Liah asked her cousins to sing "I'll Follow Him in Faith" for the program.  They did such a great job, there is just something about boys singing that warms my heart...even if they were all singing in different keys :)

Earlier in the week, Liah met with the Bishop.  That was such a sweet experience for her, and a bit of a turning point.  She seemed to grow up, and really grasp the gravity of the choice she was making after talking with him.  When she was Aeden's age, she told me she never wanted to be baptized.  We realized later it was because she was so scared of the water.  Fast forward to this week, and you would never know she ever felt that way.  She was SO excited!  Excited to be baptized, excited to be clean, excited to receive the Holy Ghost, excited to be the newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The night before, I went up an hour after bedtime to find her reading her scriptures.  I cannot get over how far we have come over the last few months, and how much she has grown and changed.

So many people came to support her, I was a blubbering mess before it even started.  There were a few missing, but we know they were there in spirit.  Bryan's brothers Andy and Alex and their families were there  (we missed you Dal and Sar!), along with Marné and her significant other, Brian.  Both Grandma Hugie and Grandma Skelton came, along with my sister, Jenni, and my brother Cody and his family.  Cody and Cindy have been fostering two little boys (ages 3 & 4...Jonathan is also 4).  They got word this week that it's looking like an adoption will be likely.  Three little boys within 19 months of each other!  I am so excited!!!  I love my Aiden, Laken  and Jonathan  :)  Poor Laken got pretty scared by all of the people, so they ended up having to leave right after the baptism, but it meant so much to me that Cody was able to be there long enough to help confirm Liah.

Many of our neighbors came, including Stick and Melba Hill, Elaine Reed, Coleen and Ammon Jones, Scott Schulte, the Stirlings, and the Bowmans.  Her primary teachers, Tyler and Maddie Higginson, took off work so they could make it.  They actually moved away this week, so it meant a lot they would make that extra effort.  The primary presidency, the Bishop, and Brother Brand from the Bishopric were there.  One of her primary class friends, Alexa, and her dad also came.  To see so many people assembled together to support her really touched me.

Originally, Liah was going to be the only one baptized, but about 10 minutes before, another little girl showed up with her family.  I felt really bad that her name wasn't on the program, but it worked out great.  Her name was Arianna.  She has a palsy of some kind and had trouble walking, but her spirit was so intensely sweet and pure, I felt  very blessed we were able share the day with her.

Liah's Grandma Skelton was the pianist.  Our good friend, Ami Bowman, led the music.  Marné gave the opening prayer.  The cousins sang their song.  Jenni gave a wonderful talk, and Grandma Hugie said the closing prayer.

Liah asked her Uncle Cody and Uncle Alex to be witnesses.  I'm sure there were other angels standing in as witnesses as well.  It was a blessing to feel the Spirit so strongly.

When the brothers and the bishop got up with Bryan to confirm her, I had such peace wash over me.  All of the craziness that had led up to that moment temporarily dissipated.  The knowledge that came in that moment provided clarity that I had up to that point lacked:  that Heavenly Father deeply loves and personally knows this little girl, that He will be there for me and Bryan as we do our best to help raise her, that she has an important work to accomplish, that nothing will be able to keep her from accomplishing that mission if she chooses to live close to the Spirit, and, that one of those missions is to teach me.