Ben's Baptism

Sunday was without a doubt one of the best days of my life.  My youngest child was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He decided that he wanted to be baptized in the Puget Sound.  During Sacrament meeting a few weeks ago, a woman spoke at church recounting her baptism experience in Puget Sound and how she felt warmed by the Spirit even though the water was cold.  Ben leaned over to me and whispered, "I want to do that!"  When we talked about the exact location, he remembered our friend Nya's baptism and said he wanted to have it in the same place.  Fortunately, the same friends who graciously hosted Nya's baptism were willing to let us use their home and beach.  When we discussed the details of the baptism, Ben said that he wanted Nathan to baptize him.  At first Brad was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be baptizing his youngest child, but after thinking about it for a while, realized what an amazing experience it would be for Nathan.  Not to mention the fact that the Puget Sound is really cold!

I admit that I was a little nervous about Ben actually going through with the baptism. I had horrible visions of him stepping into the water and feeling the cold then turning around and running out, yelling, "NO WAY!  I'm not doing this!"  Saturday night when I tucked him into bed, he had a serious case of the jitters.  He was really nervous and not sure he was ready.  We talked for a long time and I tried to reassure him, telling him that I knew he was ready because he really tries hard to do what is right.  He knows what baptism means and wants to be baptized.  I reminded him that we don't have to be perfect after we're baptized, and that having the gift of the Holy Ghost will help him.  We prayed about it together and when he woke up in the morning he was really excited.  Still a little nervous, but ready. 

The weather was another thing I was worried about.  It rained most of the day Saturday and was raining hard when we left for church Sunday morning.  By the time church was over, the rain had stopped and it the clouds were thinning out.  When we left our house at 3:15, the sun was struggling to break through the clouds and by the time we were at our friends' house, it was beautiful.  We decided to hold the whole service outside on their deck, which was a good thing because so many people came they wouldn't have all fit inside the house. 

Before everyone got there, we took a family picture. 

I can't believe how grown up my kids are.  It was so special to see Nathan and Ben both dressed in white.

Of course while we were waiting for everyone to get there, Ben found his way down to the beach and started throwing rocks into the water.  When I called him up from the beach, his pockets were full of shells and seaglass.  Typical boy!

Ben invited his best friend, our neighbor down the street.  They've been friends for about 3 years.  I was so glad he came with his mom and older brother.  Ben was so happy to have them there.  I know it doesn't look like it from the picture, but really, he was!

The only glitch in the day was with the programs.  While I was trying to print them out, my printer ran out of toner.  I called Brad's parents to ask if they could print them, as well as Kylie's talk.  When 4:10 came around (we were supposed to start at 4:00) and they still hadn't arrived with the programs or the talk, we started to get a little nervous.  Brad's mom and sister arrived about 4:15, very apologetic, with one program and Kylie's talk.  They had also run into printer problems, but at least they were able to get Kylie's talk printed!  I felt so badly that I had caused them extra stress and made them late.  Kylie did an excellent job explaining baptism.  She is so confident and well spoken. 

By the middle of Kylie's talk, Brad's dad still hadn't made it there, and Brad subtly urged her to extend her talk a few more minutes.  If he hadn't said anything, no one would have known she was stalling for time.  Brad's dad got there just as we were walking down to the water, and of course we would have waited longer before the actual baptism to make sure he was there.  It is such a blessing to have both sets of grandparents living on Bainbridge. 

Everyone gathered on the water's edge.  Another small miracle, the water was perfectly clean and clear.  Sometimes there is an edge of foamy brown stuff and seaweed along the beach, but not today!

The sun broke through again right when Nate and Ben were getting ready to step into the water. 

 And they walked right in, no hesitation at all. 

Nathan's voice was strong and clear.  The people who had stayed up on the deck said they could hear perfectly.  A thrill ran through me as Nathan said the prayer, then lowered Ben into the water. 

Look at those faces!  Pure happiness!

Jillian and Brad had warm towels to wrap Ben in.  I love the lighting in this picture, the dark clouds in the background, but the sun shining right on Ben.

Brad took Ben and Nathan up to the house tp get them warmed up and into dry clothes.  During the wait, we asked a few people to share a baptism story.  Outi shared part of her beautiful conversion story, Micah talked about being baptized in the Mediterranean Sea, James told us how grateful he his for his conversion, and Mike told a funny story about baptizing a pregnant woman during his mission.  Picture very little water and a very pregnant belly sticking up out of the water! 

After Ben returned, Aunt Ashley spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost.  She had a gift bag full of things to remind Ben about what the Holy Ghost does for us:  a soft, fuzzy blanket, a flashlight, a compass, a picture of the sun, a stuffed animal, and bell. 

Then Brad performed the confirmation.  Another thrill ran through me when I saw all the men surrounding Ben.  I hope he realizes how much he is loved and that he can turn to any of these men, or any of the people who came to his baptism, for support at any time in his life.

After the service, everyone crammed into the house for refreshments.  I wish I could have talked to everyone who came to thank them for sharing this wonderful day with us.  It meant so much to have so many people there and know that they are truly our brothers and sisters. 

As we were driving home, the big black clouds opened up and dumped on us, but the setting sun in the west cast a beautiful rainbow in the eastern sky.  It was definitely a day of little miracles and one our whole family will always remember.

The Big 8

Do you remember how excited you were to turn eight?  No?  I don't either.  But Ben left no doubt about his excitement.

His birthday fell on a Saturday, which meant he had a soccer game.  Not only did he score a goal in the game, but his team won for their first time!  That alone would have made for a great birthday.  After the game, the team sang Happy Birthday to him and got to eat donuts. 

Later that afternoon, he had his birthday party.  We started out at the pool.

Then we came home where Kylie had prepared a treasure hunt.  The kids read a clue, than ran around the yard searching for the next clue.  Kylie made up some pretty hard ones this time!

Fortunately it was a nice day, so they could play outside most of the time.

Later in the day we opened presents from family.  Jillian gave Ben this cute piggy bank.

Ben was so excited to receive his very own, personalized, set of scriptures.  Our tradition has been to give the kids scriptures when they turn eight. 

Nathan gave Ben some Pokemon cards, and also bought a deck for himself so they could play together.  It sure brought back memories of when Nate was this age.  He loved Pokemon for years!  Looks like he still does.  And Ben also received several Lego sets.  He'll keep busy for quite a while putting them all together. 

Happy Birthday, Ben! 

17 on the 17th

Happy 17th Birthday, Nate! 

Getting Closer...

Thanks to a beautiful day on Saturday, we got quite a bit of painting done.  If we get one more, maybe two, nice weekends, we should finish before winter.  Except for the trim...that part I'm gradually working on, but I figure it's not as big of a deal to get finished.

I had to climb up that big, tall ladder to tape off the trim, upper lights and window.  I did it when no one else was home, which afterwards I realized wasn't very smart, but I did have my cell phone in my pocket! The whole time I was up there, I kept praying, "Please don't let me die!"  And then when Brad was up there painting the very top peak and I was holding the ladder for him, I prayed, "Please don't let HIM die!"  It's so scary up there.

All that's left is the 2nd story of the north side of the house, above where we first started, and the chimney face, which is even taller than the garage face.  We're definitely saving the worst for the last! 

Finished!

No, not the house painting!  We're not that good!  I'm referring to Nathan's boy scouting career.  He had his Eagle Scout board of review (the one that was postponed because no one showed up last time) and he passed!  I wasn't really worried that he wouldn't (well, maybe a tiny bit), but it was sure a relief to hear the Eagle Board say that it was obvious he was qualified.  They went on to explain some of the perks of being an Eagle Scout, one of which is a $3000 scholarship he can apply for his senior year (next year!!!).  I can't even express how glad I am that he's finished.  Just in time for Ben to turn 8 next month and start Cub Scouts....

Yes, We're a Little Crazy!

And we'll be A LOT more crazy by the time we're finished!  We've been in our house almost 10 years and it was time for a fresh coat of paint.  The stain we used when we built the house was a huge pain to apply, so we decided to go with actual paint this time.  Choosing a color took me a while. I knew I wanted yellow, for some reason all the houses I'm attracted to are yellow, but there are SO MANY shades of yellow.  Cornbread, Gerbera Daisy, Tahini, Summer Sun, Lemon Drops, Yellow Brick Road, June Day...the list goes on and on and on.  We finally settled on Pale Honey.  Then we needed a day with some sun, or at least without rain, which for some reason has been hard to come by this summer.  Finally last week everything aligned and we were able to start.  My job is to tape everything off and then Brad paints with the sprayer, and then I go back and do all the trim.

Except on the second floor, the rules change.  Brad was very hesitant to let me up on the roof, but said Kylie could go up because her dexterity is better than mine.  Sad, but true!  I don't think we'll have her paint the trim up there, though.  Brad will have to do that.

She's not a bit afraid to be up there.  I would probably take one step and fall off!

It's a long way up!

When the weather hasn't cooperated, we go under cover.  Under the porches and breeze-way, that is. 

This is our attempt at turning Matzo into a yellow lab!  He is such a funny dog.  He loves to hang out with Brad, even when he's getting paint all over himself. 

We didn't labor as long as we wanted to on this Labor Day since the weather turned on us this afternoon.  I'm hoping we get at least a few more decent days this summer so we don't have a 1/2 painted house all winter! 

One Last Camping Trip

Tyler and Rachael wanted to go camping during their visit and of course I enthusiastically agreed!  Hudson, Tif and Mariko, Corey, Jeff, Hyrum, and Jonah, my kids and my dad all came along.  I reserved four spots at Fort Flagler, all in a row for all of us.  As the day got closer, the weather forecast got more daunting.  Rain?  On August 30 and 31?  We decided to risk it and were rewarded with a gorgeous day Monday. 

Jillian was such a good helper with Mariko while we were setting up the tents.  She loves her little cousins!

Ben found the little hammer and set to work pounding in the tent stakes for all five tents.  He did a great job!

After we got camp set up, we headed down to the beach.  Playing on the cliffs was definitely the highlight of the afternoon.  Rachael brought her professional camera and got some great shots of the kids.   These are ones I took, not too shabby for a point and shoot digital camera!

Girl power!

Hudson wanted to get in on the action, too!

Jillian and Jonah

I love the expression on Ben's face, and the way he's holding his hand! 

Are these two sisters, or what?  I didn't tell them to tilt their heads or smile like that!

What a gorgeous family!  I can't wait to see their little girl, due in February.  Hopefully they'll be back next summer and it won't be three years before we see them again.

The gang!  Minus Hyrum and Jeff, who were searching for treasures on the beach, and Nate, who decided to go back to camp and take a nap. 

Matzo was one tired dog!  He loves chasing the ball in the water until he's completely exhausted.  I wasn't planning to bring him this time since Brad was going to be home in the evening, but while we were packing up he was so excited, and when we told him he wasn't coming he started pouting and went to hide in his dirt hole.  It was so pitiful, I couldn't bear to leave him behind!

Jill and Hudson.  Like I said, Jill is great with her little cousins.  

I love how the sun sparkles on the water.

After playing on the beach, we headed up to the little store and got ice cream cones as a before dinner appetizer.  Then we went back to camp and made a fire to cook our foil dinners.  I brought my dutch oven to try out a blackberry cobbler.  I was so excited about actually using the dutch oven.  My goal for camping next year is to use it more often.  Anyway, we ended up putting way too many coals on it and the cobbler burnt to a disgusting crisp.  Everyone was very disappointed. 

Relaxing around the campfire playing games was the highlight of the evening.  First we played Mad Gab, then we moved to the screen tent and played Monopoly Deal until everyone was tired.  The wind had started blowing quite hard early in the evening and we watched clouds roll in over Port Townsend, but by dark the clouds had passed and we could actually see stars.  We thought we were safe from the rain.  Not quite! 

At about 4:30 in the morning, I woke up to pitter patter on the tent.  I laid listening to it for a while, trying to go back to sleep, and finally got up to go to the bathroom.  Then it started raining harder, and harder.  I finally fell back to sleep and when I woke up again around 7:30, I did not want to get out of the tent!  It was still raining.  I love camping, but not in the rain!

When everyone emerged from their tents at about 8:00, we decided to go ahead and cook breakfast since we had everything to make blackberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  I wish I would have taken a picture of Tyler, Tifanie, Corey, and I huddled under the screen tent (which wasn't really waterproof) around three cook stoves cooking breakfast.  While we cooked, Ben, Hyrum, and Jonah ran around in the rain playing some kind of noisy game, oblivious to how soaked and muddy they were getting. 

As soon as we ate and cleaned up, we packed up camp and headed home.  Fortunately, my dad has a big pickup truck so we threw all the wet tents and chairs into the back to deal with when the sun came out again.  I felt very grateful to not have the wet, muddy things in the back of my van.  Driving home with a wet dog was enough! 

I'm so glad we decided to go camping, even though the weather wasn't ideal Tuesday morning.  These experiences are what make great memories!  I've really enjoyed spending time with my siblings this past week and it makes me want to plan a true reunion for ALL of us next summer.