Today was a day that Allyson has looked forward to for a long time now. Because she has had several older cousins and friends be baptized, she has always known that being baptism was a choice she was ready to make when she turned 8! I am so proud of this beautiful daughter and the righteous decision she has made and the way she has prepared herself for this big milestone in her life.
Speaking of preparation, this day started early when McKenna got Ally's hair braided so beautiful. McKenna knew right off what style to do so when Ally came out of the water of baptism, her hair would still look great. Ally's hair right now is super long and thick, so this hair do worked perfect for her on her special day. So grateful McKenna is so talented in the hair department!
Her baptism was held at the Gunnison Stake Center at 5:00 pm. We spent the entire day preparing, from salads, to deserts, to setting up tables, and of course ourselves. Allyson was so excited to see the family that had come to support her on her big day. She was pretty nervous, in fact when we got to the church to get her changed into her jump suit, she had tears running down her cheeks. She was pretty nervous about going in the water and having to go completely under. We had talked a lot about this with her over the past several weeks, but now that the time had come, her nerves got the best of her. I was able to say a little prayer with her there in the dressing room and asked that Heavenly Father comfort her on this special day and for her to know that what she was doing was a part of our Heavenly Fathers plan. Shortly after that prayer, she seemed to calm down and was ready for her big moment of baptism and receiving the gift of Holy Ghost.
I am thankful for our family that stepped up and help participate in her baptism program. She had picked Grandma and Grandpa Okerlund talk on baptism and Trey to speak on the Holy Ghost. McKenna and Aunt Jenna helped out with the music. For the opening song, Allyson had picked to sing, 'I Am a Child of God'. I have to admit that I did get a little teary eyed during this song, because I know what a special little girl Allyson is, but what made me tear up more was to see the spirit touch Allyson and she too shed a few tears. The spirit there at her baptism was sure strong.
Allyson was baptized and confirmed a member of the church by Jeremy. I am so grateful for Jeremy and the priesthood which he holds. He was able to give Allyson such a beautiful blessing with her confirmation. He blessed her that she will always have a desire to follow the example of our Savior. He blessed her with good health, strong mind, and a strong body. He also promised her the blessings that she will have if she will continue to reach out to serve and help others. And what a blessing it was for her to have so many priesthood holders stand in the circle for this special blessing. There was Grandpa/Bishop Rod Taylor, Grandpa Don Okerlund, Jason Okerlund, Oakley Mason, Eric Taylor, Dillon Taylor, and Paul Childs. What a blessing it is to have so many worthy priesthood holders in our family.
After the baptism program, we had everyone go to the multi-purpose room for dinner. Jeremy and I had prepared pulled pork sandwiches, yummy potatoes, salads and desserts. It turned out great, thanks to everyone's help.
In the midst of preparing for her baptism, Allyson had spotted a cute cupcake dress online. Surprisingly, we pulled it off and she was thrilled on how pretty it turned out. It not only looked cute, but it was delicious too; strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. Allyson helped by placing the small pearl candy on each cupcake to make it that much prettier!
After her baptism, we went home and presented her with her own set of scriptures. She was thrilled beyond measure. I had no idea she would be this excited, so it made my heart melt to see her sincere reaction to finally having her own set of scriptures. It made her even more excited when she saw that her name was engraved on the front of each book. I am so grateful for her love of the gospel and they way it shines in all that she does.
IT'S GREAT TO BE EIGHT!
Today was such a wonderful day! She started and ended her day in complete smiles.
Allyson has a heart of gold and is one of the most thoughtful people around, especially for her young age. She is always there to look out for others. May her compassion continue to grow as she does. She means well in all that she pursues and I pray that she will always have that desire to do what is best. I am grateful that she has made this decision to be baptized and confirmed and pray that she will always have the Holy Ghost by her side to lead her back to our Heavenly Father's presence someday. Allyson, thank you for being you! I hope this day was as amazing as you are!
No comments:
Post a Comment