Elijah's Baptism

After Abigail's baptism last year, Elijah's been talking about wanting to get baptized too. These were his words during the sharing time:

"Hi, My name is Elijah

and I want to get baptized because

I want Jesus to change my life and

I want my life to be white as snow."

Oh man, melt my heart! I was quite a ways away from him as he shared, so I choked up when I heard him share, but I couldn't see his face too well until Pastor Barry posted a video of him. He was choked up as well and swallowed it all down and pushed through.

Elijah is such an energetic, fun-loving boy...it's not often we see his tender side and it makes me love him a little deeper each time I get a glimpse of it.

My Dad came over for his baptism and it was the first of many "firsts without Mom, Grandma and "wife" for my Dad" this coming year. I felt choked up about that many times today as well as my Dad. After the baptism was done and we were switching to "swim party" Dad and I were both tearing up as without even having to say it, we both were thinking, "Mom was here last year." It was hard. It's going to be hard each and every time. We're just not meant for separation...God created us for relationship and it's going to be a glorious time in Heaven to ALWAYS be with Him and others who love Him.(At least for us extroverts! ;) And...we will all be white as snow.

 

 

 Abigail loved playing with Hunter in the water, she did a great job keeping him safe and she chose to do it all on her own! So proud of her!

 Hannah and her sweet friends, Allison and Emily.

I was across the pool, talking with a friend and I saw Hannah climbing the ladder for the slide! I couldn't see Joel over there, so I made my there and then noticed Joel was in the pool near the side where she would come off but he said, "she's already gone down 2 or 3 times, she's fine!" This girl...just, no fear!! Yikes! And at the same time, "Yay! Go girl!"

 Little munchkin, dog-paddling back to the side to go again and again and again...