It's great to be eight!

Rhett was baptized by his dad on the 10th of October.

(I made this fancey smancy invite on my cool Creative Memories program)

What a neat evening. I love Baptisms and I was so proud of Rhett for being baptized and just "getting" that that is what we do in our family. No questions ask. Just simple Faith. We gave him a book to learn about Baptism and we read about it so he would understand. He loved it. It is always so great to be reminded of the promises of baptism. I found these on the Internet. I hope to remind myself and remind my children of them.

Alma (from the Book of Mormon) taught that when we are baptized we make covenants with the Lord to—

1. Come into the fold of God.
2. Bear one another’s burdens.
3. Stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all places.
4. Serve God and keep his commandments.

When we are baptized and keep the covenants of baptism, the Lord promises to—
1. Forgive our sins.
2. Pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon us.
3. Give us daily guidance and the help of the Holy Ghost.
4. Let us come forth in the First Resurrection.
5. Give us eternal life.


Good stuff!

In our family I made a chart with hearts on it and it is our "eight days to baptism" chart.



Everyday the child picks a heart which has a surprise written on the back such as motorcycle ride with dad, pick out a new book, (can you believe that was the first time Rhett has ever gone into a book store and picked himself out a book! It was a thrill!), go get ice cream, ect.... We have eight hearts and do eight things until baptism. The day of the baptism they wake up to a heart attacked room!



I have been reminded this week that not every thing goes as planned and it still turns out just fine. I am such a PLANNER! I look at my date book, I make lists, I plan everything in advance. However, life was so busy this week between his birthday party, the awesome cup cake tower, making his foot ball cake (ignore those crazy teeth, sad stage of being 8) ,


a bazillion meetings and appointments, and everything else that we didn't get his hearts done every single day and we didn't get his room heart attacked because he spent the night at grandma's. I was discouraged because we didn't get them done on the right days. I decided not to beat myself up and we just did them late. He still loved them just the same. Boys are nice that way, nothing is too big a deal.

The day he was getting baptized was STRESSFUL. Why are spiritual times always like that? It hurts my heart. I don't know if it is just us or what but there was lot and lots of ciaos, arguing, and craziness. No time to feel the spirit of the day.





I was beginning to feel terrible because I had been fussing (nice word for yelling) at the kids about the messy house. We just can't keep up. I turn around and messes just keep happening. I rushed Nathan up to my bedroom to fix his Zac Efron hair which has just become so long and no longer looks cool. He had decided to slick the whole thing down with gel and it was beyond repair. As I was trying to fix it, getting ready for pictures before the baptism I wanted to cry. Sometimes I am just doing a terrible job. (not with the hair, with managing the home, husband, and children)


Now my son, Nathan, is going to be THE BEST HUSBAND in the world. Line your daughters up because he is a doll.


While fixing his Fonzie do suddenly I was desperate for some validation. Any mother knows how terribly wrong this could go. But my sweetheart would not fail me. I knew it.


Me- "Do you think I am a mean mom?"

Nate- "No"

Me- "Do you think I am a good mom?"

Nate- "Yes"

Me- "Is there any other mom you can think of you'd rather have?"

Nate- With shock and amazement at such a question, "No!"


SMART, SWEET, BOY. He pulled it off with all sincerity too! I think he was just glad to leave the room and escape my codependency attack. He is on the right of this picture with his sticky gelled hair. That is my mom and dad also.

So we go to the baptism and Rhett was happy and proud and it is so beautiful to see him and my husband all in white by the baptismal font.

One of the men running the program asked if I would say the opening prayer. I had a traumatic experience with that once and I get so scared. He could see the fear in my eyes and said he could choose someone else. I let him. I was heart sick. How could I not pray at my sons baptism. I want my son to remember me praying on his day. I want him to know that his mother knew! I went to find him and chickened out again. I was so scared.

During the opening of the meeting I was sitting by my dad, upset,telling him what had happened. He said unsympathetically, "get over it. Don't dwell on it." Note to self: When having codependency crisis do not whine to dad.

I was fighting crying the whole time. I felt like I gave up a most precious opportunity. A cute little mom gets up says the opening prayer. It was beautiful and she taught her son that his mom "knows". Do you understand what I mean by that? "Knows"= has a testimony, knows Gods lives, knows the church is true, knows that Jesus is the Christ, is proud of her child for being baptised ect.... And in a heart beat I had given that chance all away to some other mom.

I know I am a little over dramatic but it is hard to be the mom! Hard to have all these little people counting on you!

When cute, skinny, mom was done with her great prayer my dad says "that could have been you." Gotta love it. Thanks dad.

So the meeting went on, by some small miracle I didn't cry over the prayer thing , and I vowed to never say no again and move on. Not to make this into a huge deal. At the end of the meeting and after the beautiful Baptism and Confirmation of my sweet (yet admittedly naughty) boy, the Bishop got up and realized he hadn't asked anyone to say the closing prayer. He addressed one side of the room and no one volunteered. My heart was beating so fast. When he addressed our side I flew out of my seat to say the closing prayer. And it wasn't traumatic either.

I am so thankful for Heavenly Father and the tender, simple, mercy He bestowed on me. All in the Bishop forgetting to ask someone else to give the closing prayer.

He does know me, doesn't He!

This odd picture is Corey buttoning Bo's shirt back up. When he saw Rhett come out all in white he starting stripping down to get baptized also! He said "I'm eight" We just eat up every word we can understand!