Ammon's baptism

Ammon got baptized on Saturday. This is a major milestone. Before I had children, there are certain things I looked forward to doing. One was teaching a child how to pray. Teaching people to pray was one of my favorite things to do while I was serving a mission. I imagined kneeling with a little one and teaching them the reasons to pray and some ways to pray. Then I had Ammon. Because Chris and I pray several times everyday, Ammon learned to pray by example. I never taught him. He says very personal, heartfelt prayers. This is the way a lot parenting is (in my opinion). While there is plenty we need to teach, there is more the children just naturally learn.

Ammon's baptism was a natural step. He has been preparing for it for 8 years. We didn't do anything special during the last few weeks to prepare him. I meant to do something special, but November and December were very busy. We kept doing the things we've always done. And he was very prepared. He understands so much about gospel doctrine and church organization and his personal relationship with his Heavenly Father and Jesus. He is an amazing child. It was a beautiful thing to see him in white making covenants because he wanted to be baptized. I love Ammon. He is a delightful boy. He makes parenting fun and easy and rewarding. During Sacrament Meeting, the counselor who was conducting asked Ammon to stand. He announced that Ammon had been baptized and confirmed. He asked Ammon how he felt. From the middle of the congregation, cute Ammon gave a big smile and a thumbs-up.