Emily's Baptism

(we had to change the date and time of Emily's baptism after finding out almost everyone she had invited would be at a BYU football game that afternoon...thanks Lisa for the great invitation inspiration:-)

We baptized Emily this weekend. It was a really beautiful baptism. The weather was perfect. I at least, felt the Spirit so strongly. There was something extra special about Baptizing Emily in the Nisqually river. I have felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for Heavenly Fathers beautiful creations and the gift of our lovely country since moving to Washington. Celebrating Emily's special choice out in the wilderness was just extra special. Emily wanted to be baptized out in nature and I thought it would be a really neat experience to be baptized as Jesus Christ himself was, in a river. We held the program in a group camp ground. Grandpa Wilcox played the guitar as we sang and all around us we had peace and beauty. Emily's favorite song is "A Child's Prayer" and she picked it to sing for the opening song. I have never sang that song to my children. It is such a beautiful song. I did fine conducting until the second verse when I couldn't sing another word and keep control of the tears. What a beautiful verse. Everything a Mother wants er child to know and feel. We listened to a talk on baptism by Emily's Grandma Wilcox and headed to the river to watch as Emily and Dave walked out into the green Nisqually. After the Baptism we went back to the camp ground for the talk on the Holy Ghost by Grandma DeWitt and then Emily was confirmed by her family and the fathers of all of her friends (David, Grandpa DeWitt, Grandpa Wilcox, Great Uncle Noh, Brothers Crawford, Huillet, Baker, Robertson, Westhoff and Phillips). I hope as Emily looks back at her special day in the years to come she will remember her family who were so proud of her enthusiasm to become a member of the church, her friends who sat with their arms wrapped around her in love and brought her sweet simple gifts like pictures, and the families of her friends who all came out to support her that beautiful morning.