I Want To Be the Best I Can

Yesterday, my nephew turned eight years old.  He was also baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It was such a wonderful day.  We made snicker doodles, and got all dressed up in our Sunday clothes and went to the church.  Then W and his dad got all dressed in white.  After the opening prayer and song, his primary teacher gave a talk on baptism.  Then we walked to the baptismal font and watched as W's dad baptized him.  While they were drying off and changing their clothes, we listened to primary songs and sat reverently.  After W and his dad were dried off and dressed, we sang a song accompanied by W's sister.  Then we listened to my sister Emily give a talk on the Holy Ghost.  Both talks were really good, but the bishop said it was probably the best talk on the Holy Ghost he had ever heard.  I agree.  She told a story about two men.  One was a Native American and the other was a New Yorker.  The New Yorker came to visit his friend in the country, and wanted to bring his friend to see the city.  The Native American was really excited to go and to see the city because he had never been there.  He loved seeing all the sights and really enjoyed all the plays and many things that the city had to offer, but after being there for a couple of weeks he started to miss his home.  One day, while they were walking in Manhattan, The Native American said to his friend, "I think I hear a frog."  "What?  I don't hear a frog.  I'll give you $100 if you can find the frog."  So he went to where he heard the frog, and picked it out of the drain.  "I never would have heard that frog, if you hadn't found it," said the New Yorker.  The Native American took some coins and dropped them on the ground.  Everyone with in a forty-foot radius turned around to see where they landed.  "Well," said the Native American, "it all depends on what you are listening for."  She applied this story to the Holy Ghost in that it is something we must be listening for, or we will never hear it.  W's brother played the closing song, and then we all ate the snicker doodles.  I got to meet some of W's friends, too.  It was a beautiful day and I was so glad I got to be there.  It was, after all, the reason I flew out here.

 These are the two handsome young men dressed in white.  In our church, white symbolizes purity.  When we are baptized, our sins are washed away and we are made clean again.

 W was really, really excited.  Getting baptized on your birthday sounds really, really exciting to me. :)

 His older brother made up a scavenger hunt for him to find one of his birthday presents.  It was the one from me.  I thought that was pretty cool. :)

We got him a Hex bug for his present.  He really liked it.

My parents bought him some scriptures and a scripture case.  He like that even more.

When he was almost done opening his presents and cards, W's dad wrapped up Emily.

And William opened her up!  Yay!  An Emily for his birthday!

 

I love this picture I took.  W is hugging his Grandpa H.  Such a great moment.

It really was a great day. :)