***Warning!!! This entry will have a lot of detail, since I'm journaling such an important event!
Aubrie's Baptism was beautiful. I can't imagine it being more perfect! It was a beautiful, sunny day. I know that sounds redundant living in Phoenix, but it has been very windy and cloudy, lately. It was also under 90, so that was good! The baptism wasn't until 2:00 pm, so it was kind of difficult waiting around all morning, and timing things just perfect, (showers, hair, picking up the house, etc) but it all turned out wonderfully. My Mom and I took Aubrie to the church an hour early to take some pictures and get things set up. No one arrived at the building until 1:40. Then it was a mad rush to get things ready. We were lucky enough to get the Relief Society room, where the baptismal font is. So I was able to set up stuff there. I had printed out some nice programs, and set out her blessing dress, and a nice picture and poem entitled "Dressed in White", which talks about the three white dresses that Aubrie will wear in her lifetime (blessing, baptism, and wedding). After I got that set up, I took Aubrie to get her baptism jumpsuit on . It finally hit me, as I was zipping up that jumpsuit, that she was about to go into the waters of baptism. I held back the tears, amazingly!
After taking pictures of her, with all family members, we headed to the chapel for the first part of the program. Before it started, Aubrie was going around finding everyone she knew, saying "hi" and thanking them for coming. She was so excited to see everyone, and I realized how much it really meant to her to have people there to support her. When the program was ready to start she said, "Mom there are so many people who came that I wasn't expecting", with a huge smile on her face. Sister Linda Hill, her old Primary president, gave a great talk on baptism, and then we all headed to the Relief Society Room for the baptism. I had to go behind a door to help Aubrie down the baptism font stairs. As I was helping her down, she had this huge grin of excitement and anticipation, that seemed to go from her head to her toes! It made me wish I could bottle that emotion, and let her see it later!! As I waited at the top of the stairs, I caught my Dad looking at me. He was crying. At that instant I could read his thoughts! I knew he was thinking of the day I was baptized and how things had come full circle. Of course, his crying was contagious and I stared to cry. Luckily, where I was standing, only my Dad and Ben could see me crying. Good thing, too, because it wasn't a pretty cry! ( Between my Dad and my Mom I really don't have any chance of not being a crier!LOL) I couldn't believe how fast eight years had gone! I was so proud of Aubrie and the girl she has become and the choices she has made. She was so excited for this day, and her enthusiasm was noted by all! After I got her dressed and hair dried a little, we went back to the RS room for the rest of the program, which included a talk on the Holy Ghost from my Mom. She did a wonderful job, totally geared it to kids. She gave some stories about when the Holy Ghost confirmed truth, warned her of danger, and comforted her! After my Moms talk, her Voice teacher, Monica Fawson, sang "What Heaven Sees in You". If you have never heard it, I suggest you look it up! It's an amazing song! After the song, a member of the Bishopric (brother Nelson) welcomed her as the newest member of the church and then we sang all 4 verses of "I Am a Child of God" I said the closing prayer, and choked up a little in the beginning. Besides that, I kept it together. I honestly thought I would be a crying wreck from the moment the program started. I think Sophia kept me distracted! The whole program was only an hour, which was perfect, since there were so many little ones that were there. Aubrie had a lot of friends and family that came! Here is the list, for Aubrie's journal! Grandma Beverly, Grandpa Dawson, Grandma and Grandpa Pribyl, Nicole, Carson and Shea, Craig and Jodi, Krista, the Krelyings, the Elcocks, the Frandsens, and Trimbles, Kayleen and Mauriann Brazelton, the Fawson's, her Sunday School teacher (brother Thurber), her Primary President (Sister Thornock), Bryson King( he played the piano).
After the baptism, we all congregated at our house for a BBQ and swimming. It was a great time! Aubrie had fun with all her cousins and I kept busy with getting the food out, taking care of Sophia, and cleaning up. That is the one thing about hosting get together's, there isn't as much time to socialize. After all the food stuff wrapped up, I was able to chat a little with everyone. The last of our guests left a little after 6:00. After everyone was gone, Aubrie opened her gifts. Everyone was so thoughtful to bring something for her. She got a few baptism bracelet's, a journal, some girly things (purses, lip glosses, etc) and some churchy things (book marks, "I Am a Child of God" sign, etc). My Mom got her some scripture markers, scripture stickers, and a pocket hymn book (with her name engraved on it). My Dad got her her own set of leather-bound scriptures, with her name engraved on it. She was so excited to get them! We spent the end of our evening putting about 25 of the stickers in her scriptures....it's not as easy as it sounds. I'm so glad she had such a wonderful day!
