Ammon...and the missing link

Ammon's birthday was yesterday. I hope he had a great day. I sure did. Ammon got to have a friend birthday party. He planned a theme and games to go with his theme. While I prefer this kind of party, I am always afraid my kids will be embarrassed. Their friends get huge parties with lots of friends and entertainment like skating rinks, swimming pools, or bouncy houses. Those are all fun parties and the kids love them. But it's not really me. And so, we go a different route. Ammon knows this and planned a party that cost me nothing. His theme was Star Wars and these were some of his games: Guess Who? (A Star Wars character taped on each back, yes/no questions, etc.); Pin the Light Saber on the Jedi (Ammon did the art work); Pod Racing (making and racing paper airplanes); Asteroid Toss (tossing bouncy balls into a moving target--that Chris was moving as he sang Star Wars themes); etc. We served a Darth Vader cake and Darth Malts. Ammon is a delightful, happy, creative child. He impresses me with his ability to be content with whatever happens and also with his self-discipline. What a kid!

Ammon's birth day--2000

Ammon was a strikingly beautiful baby. Seriously. Strangers would stop me and say, "That is a strikingly beautiful baby." Then they would sometimes ask if he was adopted.

1st birthday--no frosting. I didn't want to contaminate my pure little boy. We had family in town from California and Hawai'i. Because Ammon's birthday is right after Christmas, we have often been with out-of-town family for his special day.

2nd Birthday. Awww.. the boy looks good in navy blue.

3rd birthday. We spent it in California with family. Those are some crazy-looking ocean creatures on his cake.

4th Birthday. Bug-theme. My favorite.

5th birthday--a friend party? Too young. And a snow-theme. Ammon loves snow. This was a year when there was no snow for Ammon's birthday. We had to play snow-related games instead of go sledding. It's okay. Ammon's creative. We played Pin-the-Carrot-Nose on the Snowman and stuff like that.

6th Birthday. Ammon's favorite animal is still a penguin. We had family in town from Hawai'i. Usually when the ones from Hawai'i are here, a few from California show up, too.

7th Birthday. No photo. I have spent hours during the last two days looking for photos from his 7th birthday. I am very upset about it. After giving it some thought, I finally remember that we were in California for his birthday. I remember making and decorating a cake at my sister-in-law, Michelle's apartment. I put a Sneetch on it. (You know, a Dr. Seuss character who has a star on his belly...or maybe he doesn't.) Why don't I have any photos of his birthday? Why don't I have any photos of the trip to California? Why?! WHY?!!!! (This is why I titled the blentry "The Missing Link.")

8th birthday. Yes, this is the best I can do. I have lots of photos from his baptism a couple days later, but I couldn't find any--not one--from his birthday. I found this photo in my parents' stuff. In one of their photos of the day, I am in the background with my camera taking a picture. But where is that picture? Where is it?! Anyway, I remember that we had family in town from California.

Ammon's 9th birthday. He was totally digging Garfield that year. (I had to identify what that was on the cake, because you can't tell by looking at it.)

My 10-year-old. Have I mentioned that I love Ammon? Because I do.

Merry Christmas!

Here it is Christmas Eve. Let me tell you my great plans for December. First, I was going to blog about our wonderful Thanksgiving. Then, I thought I'd do a Christmas advent--a daily post about Christmas. That didn't work out, so I thought I'd do the 12 Days of Christmas instead. Well, Day 12 came and went, and I thought, "Who's keeping track anyway? I'll do the 5 Days of Christmas! It will be spectacular."

And here it is Christmas Eve.

We have had a lot going on this month: normal Christmas things, extra concerts, oral surgery for Ammon, sick kids, church, work, etc. It's been very busy, but so wonderful. I love my children, who make everything happy.

I am grateful that we took the time to go to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights early in December. It was beautiful, relatively warm, and good family time for us. Maybe I have some pictures. Let me check. Yes, yes I do. Most of these were taken by Sarah or Beth or maybe even one of the boys.

So, that was fun.

I had planned to do all sorts of crafts with the children. We did a couple things. Like snowflakes, and origami:

I love paper. Do you know that about me? I LOVE PAPER! I love to make things with paper. So, origami=fun!

We also made some gingerbread men for neighbor gifts. I made them Hawai'ian kane and wahine. (That means men and women.) And the note said Mele Kalikimaka. (That means Merry Christmas.) They make me laugh. And I bet they make you wish you were my neighbor.

All of our Christmas decorations are in storage. My mom is allergic to real trees. I like real. But I go with fake for her sake. (That rhymes. Rhyming makes me smile.) We just used one of Mom's little trees and made new ornaments for it. I don't know if you can see the paper chain, but it was surprisingly time consuming to make!

We've been hanging up all our Christmas cards on the bricks behind the fireplace. As you may nor may not be able to tell, they have almost all fallen down. It has been a steady rainstorm of Christmas cards. I think that I will have a contest to see whose card stays up the longest. That person or family will win a special prize. A special Christmas prize. A special Christmas prize that is like an imaginary box filled with love.

We also had a family party. Santa came.

Santa looks pretty animated...

Hmmm...that's a tough question. What do I want for Christmas?

I don't know what to say.

I'd like a light saber and a chainsaw! (Yes, that's what he asked for.)

So, that's our month in a nutshell.

I love Christmas! The season is filled with joy and happiness. No matter how busy I am, an overwhelming peace is in my heart. I feel to celebrate with all Christians the birth of the Savior!

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf recently said:

When Jesus was born, the joy in heaven was so great it could not be contained, and angelic hosts parted the veil, proclaiming unto shepherds “good tidings of great joy, . . . praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

I love the image of joy being so great, it could not be contained in heaven. We celebrate all month long this glorious season.

I believe in Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and loves each of us. It is the gift of our Heavenly Father that He sent His Son to earth for our salvation.

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Deck the Halls

I'm getting ready for Christmas. I started by decorating my blog. Enjoy. Merry Christmas! I love this time of year.

Gratitude: Day #25

I am grateful for quiet moments to spend with Chris. I like the loud times with the whole family, but I really look forward to having a little quiet conversation with my husband.

Gratitude: Day #24

I am grateful for relationships. At one point in my life, I realized that much (but not all) of what this life is about is building relationships. I am grateful for my relationship with my Savior most of all. I am also grateful for my relationship with my husband, my children, my extended family, and my friends. I am grateful for the influence of others on me and grateful for the bonds we share.

Among the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that relationships are eternal. We build temples to seal together eternally family members. The kinds of relationships we build here will continue in heaven. Scripture states, "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy" (D&C 130:2).

I am grateful to know that building relationships is a worthwhile part of my life and something that will bless me eternally.

The Storm That Wasn't

First, some lovely pictures. We got a little snow last Saturday night. This was Sunday morning:

Pretty, no? Yes. And it was such a lovely day. The sun came out and the roads and sidewalks were cleared (by the sun) by mid-afternoon. My favorite kind of winter day. The snow was so wet and heavy. I love it when we get a very wet snow early in the winter season because the ground is not at all frozen. All that water can go deep into our earth, where we need it so much.

Well, this was just the beginning of winter. A blizzard warning was in effect for Tuesday evening. Wow! Everyone said. We must be ready. Schools closed early (like university-type schools) to allow people to get home. People left work early. Some businesses shut down to allow employees to get home safely. We were ready.

I woke up this morning (Wednesday) and turned on Facebook. Yes, this is something I do first thing in the morning. I'm not proud of that, but I do it anyway. Almost every day when I turn on FB, I am greeted by an onslaught of posts where my friends complain about the weather. It seems that almost all my friends in Utah hate the snow and cold. They also complain about the heat in the summer, so you know, take it for what it's worth. Anyway, this morning, I was greeted by an onslaught of posts where my friends in Utah complained about the lack of weather. That's right. "Where's the snow?" "What storm?" And on and on and on.

I feel like writing a blentry about this storm that wasn't. And so I will. I will even divide it into sections.

Forecasting the weather: Is there any job that is more mocked than the weatherman? Really. When they're right (which they are kind of a lot), we ignore them. When they're wrong, we ridicule everything about them. The blizzard warning yesterday came as a result of watching weather patterns. Meteorologists have education coupled with complicated equipment that can determine with some accuracy the future. That's amazing! Yesterday, we were warned of blizzard conditions. By definition, a blizzard differs from a snowstorm because of the wind--not the amount of snow. There can be very little snow falling and we can have blizzard, white-out conditions because of the lack of visibility and intense wind. The official warning said there would be a strong cold front with wind gusts and bitter cold air. Salt Lake Valley was warned that the cold front would hit around 5:00 p.m.

What actually happened: Around 5:19 p.m., snow started falling at the Salt Lake Airport. There was a 12 degree drop in temperature (Fahrenheit) in 20 minutes! And visibility was limited to less than 1 mile. Those are blizzard conditions--right on time. By 10:20 p.m., roads were extremely hazardous. 88 accidents had been reported, as well as 116 other cars needing some sort of assistance. Those are blizzard conditions. This morning, many places in Utah saw little or no snow. But here in West Jordan, we had 8 fresh inches! How delightful.

Preparation: My dad heard a meteorologist on the radio. I didn't hear him, so I may get this quote a little wrong. Early in the day, the meteorologist said, "This is a blizzard warning, but it's not the Apocalypse." Ha ha! That's funny. But, let's think about the culture we live in here. We love to be prepared. We have food storage, emergency 72-hour-kits, candles, firewood, ways to cook without gas or electricity, etc. It's a teaching of the dominant religion and part of our culture here. But, alas, we rarely have an emergency. We don't get hurricanes, volcanoes, tornados, violent rain, intense snow, freezing rain, ice storms, etc. They say we're due for an earthquake, but it's not happening that often. I recently read a story on MSN.com called "Mother Nature's Favorite Places." Utah was ranked #5. How was it judged? Rarity of any kind of natural disaster. So, we sit here with all of our preparations and nothing to do with them. I think there was a little excitement at the idea of being able to hunker down and get through the horrible conditions. Of course, I don't think there were even any power outages reported. We are all fine.

Family Night: This was the best part of the day. Everything was closed. The warnings told us to all go home and stay home. People obeyed. My FB friends--and it is by them that I judge the world--all seemed to be enjoying family time: games, movies, stories, etc. Imagine how blessed we were! Two days before a major holiday, we couldn't prepare. We couldn't go to the store or travel or do anything. We stayed with our families and spent time together. We were quiet and at peace. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be with my family, and I don't think I'm alone in that.

In the end, I think we were very blessed that this storm wasn't as bad here as it was north of here. The weather patterns showed a severe storm that was gaining in strength. What a blessing that it relaxed a little before it reached us. The cold temperatures are what they are. I prefer the 30s to the 12s. :) But it's so pretty. Look at my pictures from this morning:

But then again, I like snow. I like winter. And I took meteorology in college and have a sympathy for those in the profession.

Gratitude: Day #23

This morning during our family prayer (or was it last night?), Bethie prayed, "Thank you that Jesus loves us." I think that is exactly what I am thankful for today. I know that God the Father and Jesus live. The primary way I know God lives is because I feel His love in my life. His love is evidenced through the beautiful creations all around, through the love of His children one for another, through the many blessings He gives us daily. Our lives are filled with mercy and love. The greatest evidence of God's love for me is in the sacrifice of His Son: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

I find myself wishing that I had better words to express my gratitude.

Gratitude: Day #22

Today I am grateful for health. For the most part, our family enjoys very good health. We have our little problems, but they are so little. We thank our God for the gift of health. That's all.

Gratitude: Day #21

I am grateful for my parents. Because I am a mom, I often think about the way I was raised. Sometimes I wish I could figure out how my parents did what they did. I know the end results--which are pretty terrific, if I do say so myself. Anyway, they are good at being parents. But wait! There's more! They're not just good parents; they're good people. I look up to them and admire them. Thank you to Mom and Dad for being great!

Gratitude: Day #20

Last Sunday, I taught our Young Women class about gratitude. We were talking about how it can affect others positively when you say thank you often. I told the girls how I feel worthwhile when I do mundane things because my husband always thanks me. Every time Chris opens his drawer and finds clean underwear, he thanks me for doing the laundry. Every time he opens his closet and finds newly laundered shirts, he thanks me. Every single time. I am grateful for his gratitude because it makes me feel like my smallest acts of service are noticed, appreciated, and worth my time and energy.

Tonight, I went out alone. When I left, there were approximately six or seven unfolded loads of laundry covering my bed and my bedroom floor. When I got home, it had all been folded and put away. All of it! I am so grateful to be able to start the new week with a clean house and clean clothes. I am grateful to Chris for taking care of the laundry tonight while I was out playing. He's really something, that Chris.

Gratitude: Day #19

We just got home from seeing my niece in her high school production of Bye Bye Birdie. She did a great job. She's a great kid. I started thinking about my nieces and nephews. I sure love them. I have a total of 37 nieces and nephews...and one on the way. I feel close to almost all of them--some I don't know as well. I am so grateful to have so many great kids in my family. I love them and am grateful to be an auntie.

Gratitude: Day #18

Everybody needs friends. What a blessing it is to have good friends. Throughout my life, I have been blessed with good friends. I am not very outgoing, so it always surprises me when people want to be my friend. I am thankful for those who reach out to me and become my friends.

Gratitude: Day #17

I went to bed with a headache last night. Bethie was up most of the night. She had a late nap--I guess she was exhausted from all the birthday partying. Anyway, taking care of Beth all night did wonders for the progression of my headache. By the time I woke up, all I could think about was going back to bed to get rid of the pain.

You might be wondering what this has to do with gratitude. Well, I'll tell you. I used to get much worse headaches with much more frequency. Having such a screamin' headache today made me recognize that it has become a rarity for me. And it was so much less intense than they used to be. I thank a combination of Vitamin D, chiropractor, and yoga. And I am grateful I don't have the same intense headaches I used to have.

Gratitude: Day #16

Tonight, I think I will be grateful for my warm bed. Good night.

and many more...

My baby girl turned four today. I can't believe she's so grown up. She is as sweet and delightful as the day she was born. Let's watch her grow...

Elisabeth Lilinoe Woods

November 16, 2006

with her Daddy

A better picture of the little angel.

First birthday. She is such a happy little girl, but her face is not full of huge smiles.

2nd birthday and the wonderful addition of Baby Turtle to the family. 

3rd birthday. She wanted nothing more than a Blue's Clues birthday.

And today. A ladybug for my little ladybug. 

Bethie makes me smile down to my toes. I love her so much.

Gratitude: Day #15

We had a family home evening lesson about gratitude this evening. I gave each of the children a little gratitude journal that they can write in for the next couple weeks as we prepare for Thanksgiving. Their first entries tonight were so sweet. Ammon wrote, "Animals, the prophet, food and friends." In her very best handwriting, Sarah wrote, "Water, God, Jesus, family, world, Mom, Dad." Nathan drew a picture of a keyboard and I helped him spell, "Piano." As she opened her journal, Bethie asked me, "How do you spell Heabenly Fa-der?" Before I could answer, Sarah started helping her spell "God." So, Beth said, "G for Heabenly Fa-der."

Today wasn't my best parenting day. I was a little out of sorts. But what a great way to end the day! I am so grateful for my children. Is it cheating if I quote from someone else? My sister-in-law, Laura, wrote, "People say that motherhood is near to divinity. That may be true, although I think I have a long way to go. But I believe with my whole heart that because I am a mother, divinity is near to me in the form of my children, and the very fact of their presence in my life testifies daily to me of the goodness and mercy of God."

I believe what Laura wrote is true for me and my life. I thank my Heavenly Father that He allows me to be a mother to my precious little ones.

Gratitude: Day #14

I like Bible stories. Today at church, we read the story of the ten lepers. It's a great story. I have nothing else to say about it. I'm grateful for Bible stories and I think I'll turn off the computer and go read the Bible.

Gratitude: Day #13

Today I am grateful for organization. If you happened by my house (the basement part where I live) today, you would say, "What in the world do you know about organization?!" And I would say, "Um, I've been busy blogging about being grateful." And then we would go upstairs where things are tidy.

But I'm not talking about a clean house today. I will hopefully be grateful for that sometime soon. Today I am grateful for organization in family, community, and nation. We live in such an orderly place. I am especially grateful for the organization and order of the church I belong to. It is a great thing and to me, a testimony of the divinity of the church that things are organized and function the way they do.

Gratitude: Day #12

I asked Chris, "What am I thankful for today?" He said, "You're thankful I came home from work early." (And by "early," he means in time for dinner.)

You know, I think he's right.

For the first few years of our marriage, Chris worked several jobs at once. He was often in school--even after he finished his bachelor's degree, he had to return to school for a teaching certificate. On top of all the jobs and the school, he has this little hobby. He likes to write and record songs. It's a very time-consuming hobby. Because of Chris' crazy schedule, I have been used to doing many things (sometimes it feels like everything) on my own.

And then, a couple years ago, Chris started simplifying his schedule. He cut out some of those extra sources of income and started to spend more time at home. I got used to having him around. And I like it.

Recently, he started school again. His schedule is demanding. I have missed him more than I thought I would. I thought I would slip back into that "doing many things on my own" state easily. I was wrong about that.

And Chris is right about tonight. I am very grateful he was home for dinner. I love it when Chris is home.

Gratitude: Day #11

Today is Veterans Day here in the ol' U.S. of A.--and beyond. Therefore, it seems apropos to express gratitude for our military. I've had a complicated relationship with the military. Inside my heart, I want peace and kindness. When I was younger, I struggled to balance military action with a Christian desire for peace. How can we ever justify war? I'll tell you how. Peace doesn't mean we're sitting on rocking chairs watching grass grow. Peace is active and needs to be defended and fought for. I think I will use a few cliches here. Freedom isn't free. We're the home of the free because of the brave. I have come to an understanding and deep appreciation of the importance of military. The sacrifice of the men and women in uniform is tremendous. Their families also sacrifice a remarkable amount. I am deeply grateful for my country, for my freedoms, for my prosperity, for my peaceful life. I owe a debt of gratitude to every soldier who has ever volunteered--or been drafted--to do what I can't do for myself. I am especially grateful for those close to me: my brother and nephew. Thank you to the veterans!!

Gratitude: Day #10

I am grateful for water. We have clear, clean, beautiful water that comes right into our house. The water we use in our toilets is cleaner and safer than the water most people in this world have to drink. I think our access to clean water is amazing. Chris grew up in California and he told me once that his favorite thing about living in Utah is that we have ice cold water straight from the tap. Our water comes from high in the Rocky Mountains and it flows out beautifully cold. It's a little extra bonus for us. Water. It's a great thing.

Gratitude: Day #9

Who had this crazy idea to write a gratitude post every single day? Because that person probably forgot that I would forget all about writing my blog some days. Tuesday was one of those forgetful days. I got home from my yoga class at about 10:30 p.m. and I was tired. And quite relaxed. So my day was done.

Speaking of yoga, I think I will say that I'm grateful for it. I know it sounds silly, but I enjoy doing it. It's a kind of exercise that is just my speed--slow, relaxed, and laid back. I'm glad I found a free class, because otherwise I wouldn't be doing anything physical. And I'm grateful that it is making me feel stronger, more flexible, and I'm pretty sure it's improving my posture. I've always wanted to have good posture, but I just can't be bothered standing up straight.

Gratitude: Day #8

I'm grateful to be home. I'm grateful for a husband who loves me. I love him, too. I'm grateful that I enjoy my children and my time with them.

Gratitude: Day #7

Today I am simply grateful for the opportunity to hang out with my brother, his wonderful wife, and wildly entertaining children. We have had a great weekend. It was well worth the long drive.

Gratitude: Day #6

(This one is for Saturday. I was busy with family and didn't feel like turning on a computer.)

I had a wonderful day with my brother and his family. My niece was baptized. It was so special for her. Being present at her baptism combined with conversations I had with my brother and his wife later in the day left me very grateful for my testimony. I am grateful God has blessed me with faith and an understanding (however small) of His love. It affects every aspect of how I view the world.

We live in a confusing world, where people are easily "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). In comparison, a testimony of the Savior can help anyone build a solid foundation: "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12).

Gratitude: Day #5

Today we finally reached our destination: IOWA and my brother and sister-in-law's home. Driving through this part of America has been so pleasant. There's really no other word to describe how I felt looking out the windows. Pleasant. And I am so grateful for farmers who provide my food. I can barely keep a tomato plant alive, but I like to eat. Left to my own devices, I would be pretty hungry. So, I am grateful for our farmers and their pleasant farms.

Gratitude: Day #4

Yeah, I didn't actually post on Day #4 because I was busy driving. And driving. My friend had warned me: Nebraska just keeps on going. He's quite right. Wyoming isn't exactly an easy jaunt, either. We drove across the entire state of Wyoming and the entire state of Nebraska and it was kind of a long day. At one point, Nathan said (in his most dramatic voice), "This has been the longest day of my life!" And Beth kept looking out the window saying, "Why are we driving in circles?"

Anyway, I thought of a bunch of things I am grateful for whilst we were driving, but by the time I went to bed, I was most grateful for good friends. I stayed up way too late visiting with two of my favorite friends who live in Nebraska. Our family was in a place we had never been, but yet we were immediately at home in the Bryans' house. It's always good to be home.

Gratitude: Day #3

Tonight with our church youth group, I went downtown to feed some homeless people. They were kind, polite, and very thankful for the little food we had to share. I am grateful to have spent time with these children of God. I am also grateful for the many luxuries--including food--that I enjoy every day.

Gratitude: Day #2

Today, for obvious reasons, I am grateful for the right to vote. I have always had this right and can't imagine life without it. I vote in peace and order.

My brother was serving in Iraq during their first free elections. He has a really incredible picture of some Iraqi men, with big smiles on their faces, holding up their thumbs (dyed in ink) to show they had voted. It's a happy picture. I'm glad I can take part in my own country's political process.

Gratitude: Day #1

Thanksgiving is this month. I thought I'd do something I've never done before--at least not publicly. I'm going to list things I'm grateful for. Just one a day. Hopefully, I'll be able to come up with something for every day.

As I turned a corner today, I saw flashing lights in the distance. Without thinking, I pulled over to the right side of the road to allow the emergency vehicle easy and safe passage. I know it sounds silly, but I always love seeing people pull over when an emergency vehicle asks them to. (They ask with bright lights and loud sirens--not unlike the way my kids "ask" for things.) Sometimes people are a little late responding because they didn't notice the need. Why do I love this common occurance? Because I think it represents civility. I am grateful to live in a civilization of order. We obey a variety of laws as we drive around and it creates peace.

(I am aware that not everyone obeys driving laws, but I am focusing on the positive because I am showing gratitude.)

Sometimes I need a little help...

Hey there. Remember me? Listen fellahs. If you ever notice a time when I go weeks without updating my blog; I can't seem to think of a status update for Facebook; or you see me in person and find me sitting and staring in a house that is knee-deep in mess, please remind me to take my Vitamin D.

I just get so tired and forget how to think.

Well, I took some vitamins and then I blogged a bit. Enjoy.

And Halloween

When my kids were little, I loved to create and sew their costumes for Halloween. Then I had a fourth child and something had to give. I guess (through default) I gave up homemade Halloween costumes. I also gave up on laundry, but that's a different story for a different time.

Usually, the children wear hand-me-downs from cousins or whatever they can come up with on their own. But this year was so exciting! Grandma Suzie was visiting from Hawai'i. We were walking through a store looking for winter coats for the boys and we saw a beautiful Cinderella dress--just in Beth's size. Well, who can pass that up? Not Grandma! Before we knew it, she had bought the kids their dream costumes! They've played in them for the last month, so the costumes are already a bit worn. But really, what is the point of preserving a costume for one night? Dress-ups are fun.

Sarah's Special Day

Sarah had a beautiful day the day of her baptism and confirmation. She is such a wonderful little girl. She has been preparing herself for this day. She felt that she should work on her temper and learning to control her anger. She felt that she should try to be nicer to her siblings. She came up with her goals on her own, and she has progressed so much in the past few months. Sarah's Grandma Suzie couldn't come the day of her baptism, but she came the week before. She brought Sarah a special dress. Much of Chris' family who live in California came out for the weekend. My family was also very supportive. After Sarah was baptized, I went in to help her get dressed. She looked at me and started crying. She said, "I love you so much, Mom. Thank you for teaching me how to get baptized." I love her, too.