My, oh my, how time flies...

So, why, you may be asking, were you so blessed to have family come into town? I'll give you a hint, it was Bryant's 8th birthday.

Did you figure it out, or do I just need to tell you? :)

Let me just tell you, if you haven't experienced this before, it is almost surreal to have your oldest child get baptized. I can hardly believe that I'm old enough to have an 8 year old! I still feel like a kid myself! But I am so proud of Bryant and that he made this choice to follow Christ's example and enter the waters of baptism.

We were busy, busy getting ready for the day and the day finally arrived!!!

He could hardly sit still waiting for his big moment.
As you can see, he took it very seriously.
He wasn't the only one having a hard time sitting still.




We were all a bit antsy! The program was very nice. Bryant planned the program, choosing songs, speakers, and prayers. The program was as follows:

Opening Song: I Am a Child of God

Opening Prayer: Grandma Hoss

Scripture: Jonas (It ended up being read by a good friend Jill, because Jonas and Levi wouldn't do it.)

Musical Number: Stand for the Right, sung by Bryant

Talk: Grandma Jane

Baptism

Talk: Grandpa Hoss

Confirmation

Comments from Primary Presidency and Bishop

Closing Song: Teach Me To Walk

Closing Prayer: Grandma Jane

Grandma Hoss lead the music. And our Bishop conducted. We had a luncheon after the meeting in the gym of the church. We had Taco Salad with all the fixins and we made a bunch of yummy treats... lemon cake balls, oatmeal cranberry cookies, strawberry cheesecake squares, and my own idea cookies and cream brownies. It was so fun and I didn't stress out! I got most of the work done the day before and had both moms and dad to help with everything.

The baptismal service was great. Grandma Jane's talk was excellent. She taught us about baptism. How we are commanded to do it so we can live with God again. How it provides us the opportunity to be clean. She had a picture of Bryant in a sheet protector and put some chocolate pudding on it talking about sins we might commit, like lying or stealing or being unkind. Then she talked about baptism, the atonement and our covenants and how through Christ our sins can be wiped away. There were a lot of kids at the baptism and I'm pretty sure that was the only time the speaker had all of their attention.

After the actual baptism while Bryant and Ethan were changing their clothes we gave everyone who attended a little card and pen and asked them to write a few words to Bryant about their own baptism or how they felt during his baptism or how they felt about his choice to be baptized. I am so glad that we got this idea from a friend a couple weeks before the baptism. There are some real treasures in those cards... Grandpa Hoss, we forgot to get one from you still! Drop one in the mail for us, so we don't miss out!

Grandpa Hoss talked about the Holy Ghost. He spoke directly to Bryant. He talked about how the Holy Ghost is the best gift we can be given on earth. How it will help Bryant in so many different ways throughout his life. He talked about being worthy to keep the Holy Ghost with him.

Bryant did a fabulous job singing his solo. The words to the song were printed in the program because they seemed to fit this step in Bryant's progression so perfectly.

Our prophet has some words for you,

and these are the words,

"Be true, be true."

At work or at play,

in darkness or light,

be true, be true

and stand for the right."

~Joseph Ballantyne Children's Songbook pg. 159

Baptism is taking the first step, entering the gate, on the road back to our Heavenly Father. I'm so proud of Bryant for taking that step and setting such a great example to his younger brothers and sister.

Once we were home we decided to try to snap a few pictures of the family...



Then Grandma and Grandpa gave Bryant some new scriptures and a nice case to carry them.

He is currently reading the Book of Mormon with Ethan. They are in Alma around chapter 11... he is excited to have his own copy of the scriptures. In fact, at church when they asked him to stand to be recognized for his baptism he was busy reading a chapter. Ethan had to play catch up, so they could read together.


My family had a tradition when we were young that the child who got baptized got to go out to dinner, at a restaurant of their own choosing, with just the grownups that evening. I remember going out to Maddox with my parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles while my brothers all had to stay home. I felt so cool.

We decided it was a tradition worth continuing. So we went to a local Hibachi grill. We had sushi, they cooked on the grill right in front of us, and we got to try calimari! It was a night I think Bryant will remember. We had a great time!


FYI, the calimari was chewy and quite rubbery for my tastes. Bryant, however, couldn't get enough. He was introduced that night to squid, eel and seaweed. And he used chopsticks. Pretty darn cool.