After a day of fun birthday celebration we had a BAPTISM to get ready for! In our church we are baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 8. So turning 8 is a special birthday! We have been excited and planning this day for a long time. Amazingly we all got ready early enough for some family photos with the grandparents. And my dad gave Mia a special compass to remind her of this day, and to help her remember that she now will have the gift of the Holy Ghost to help her choose the right each day. It was super sweet.
Mia's baptism was beautiful! She looked like a princess all dressed in white and smiling so bright. Jason performed the baptism and confirmation. What a sight to see - my wonderful husband and daughter dressed in white together for this special ordinance. It so so sweet having my parents, Jason's mom, my sister and her family, our sister-in-law Jessica and little Owen, our kind Home Teacher and his wife and even Mia's 2nd grade teacher all there to see her be baptized. Mia has grown up so much over this past year. She is turning into a strong, determined and kind-hearted and sensitive girl. She loves being the big sister and helps me so much around the house. I get to be her Primary teacher at church, so I have witnessed how much her knowledge of the Gospel has grown over the past year, and she is an example to me when she always remembers her prayers and to read her scriptures.
Two of Mia's cute little friends were being baptized at the same time so it was extra special for Mia to have this memory made with them. They were little angels in white. I am so grateful for the fantastic friends Mia has made since our move back to Utah. They come from amazing families and will be such good influences for Mia as they get older.
After the baptism we had a family dinner back at our house. Mia's favorite meal - flank steak, mashed potatoes, asparagus, rolls and white cupcakes for the kids and my mom's incredible coconut cake and strawberry pie for the adults. :)
This was a day so full of tender feelings and memories! I am so proud of Mia and the person she is becoming - and seeing her go under the water as she was baptized is a moment I will never forget. I still remember my own baptism, and seeing your daughter do the same is simply incredible! And to have all of this take place on Easter weekend made it all the more special. I know our Savior lived and has showed us the path we should follow so we can return home again one day to our Father in heaven. And then He died and was resurrected for each one of us. On this Easter / baptism weekend I was constantly reminded of the love our Savior has for each of us, and how important He is in each of our lives.
